BeakBrain

Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Ducula badia

Doves and Pigeons · Columbiformes · Uncommon

The Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia) is a uncommon doves and pigeon found in 13 countries, weighing about 486 g. The mountain imperial pigeon, also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in southeastern Asia.

Least ConcernUncommonEats fruitforestplatform nest486 g
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 1
Photo: Ben Costamagna · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 2
Photo: Ben Costamagna · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 3
Photo: Mark Clarke · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 4
Photo: Mark Clarke · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 5
Photo: Mark Clarke · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 6
Photo: Mark Clarke · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 7
Photo: Kai Squires · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 8
Photo: Zac Peterson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 9
Photo: Zac Peterson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia), photo 10
Photo: Zac Peterson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Mountain Imperial Pigeon

The mountain imperial pigeon, also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in southeastern Asia.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The mountain imperial pigeon is the largest pigeon species in its range at 43–51 cm (17–20 in) long. It has a fairly long tail, broad, rounded wings and slow wing-beats. The head, neck and underparts are vinous-grey with a contrasting white throat and brownish-maroon upperparts and wings, though the upper part of the body can be duller. The underwing is slate-grey and the tail is blackish with a grey horizontal line. The combination the maroon back with the large size give this species a distinctive appearance. Its call consists of a deep, resonant boom that is only detectable at close range.

Where it lives

India Thailand Malaysia Vietnam Bhutan Cambodia China Indonesia Myanmar (Burma) Laos Bangladesh Singapore Brunei

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Mountain Imperial Pigeon?
The mountain imperial pigeon is the largest pigeon species in its range at 43–51 cm (17–20 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Mountain Imperial Pigeon?
The Mountain Imperial Pigeon is a large sized bird weighing about 486 g.
Where can you see a Mountain Imperial Pigeon?
The Mountain Imperial Pigeon occurs in 13 countries, including India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Bhutan.
What birds look similar to a Mountain Imperial Pigeon?
The Mountain Imperial Pigeon is most easily confused with the Torresian Imperial Pigeon, the Pied Imperial Pigeon and the Green Imperial Pigeon.
Is the Mountain Imperial Pigeon endangered?
The Mountain Imperial Pigeon is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Mountain Imperial Pigeon for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.