About the Pale-vented Pigeon
The pale-vented pigeon is a large pigeon found in the tropical Americas. Formerly often placed in Columba, it actually belongs to a clade of the older New World genus Patagioenas. With its relatives it represents an evolutionary radiation extending through most of the warm-temperate to tropical Americas. Grey-hued birds, even their males generally lack iridescent display plumage, although the present species has some coppery gloss on the nape.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The pale-vented pigeon is 30–32 cm long and weighs normally 230–250 g. Adult males have a mainly dull purple head, breast and upperpart plumage, with copper glossing on the nape and a whitish throat. The lower back and tail are dark grey and the lower underparts are pale grey. The bill is black and the legs, iris and eyering are red. The female is similar, but duller than the male, and immatures are greyish-brown, very dull, and mainly greyish brown. The southern subspecies P. c. andersoni has white lower underparts, rather than the pale grey of nominate P. c. cayennensis.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Pale-vented Pigeon sounds like
Where the Pale-vented Pigeon lives
When to see the Pale-vented Pigeon
Peak activity in March · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Red-billed PigeonPatagioenas flavirostrisRed-billed pigeons have largely dark, slate-gray plumage with a more maroon, though sometimes described as purple, head, neck, and wing coverts.
Picazuro PigeonPatagioenas picazuroIt is a large pigeon with a wingspan of up to 22 inches and can weigh as much as a pound.
Spot-winged PigeonPatagioenas maculosaThe two subspecies of spot-winged pigeon differ significantly in their plumage.
Side by side: Band-tailed Pigeon vs Pale-vented Pigeon · Pale-vented Pigeon vs Picazuro Pigeon · Pale-vented Pigeon vs Red-billed Pigeon · Pale-vented Pigeon vs Spot-winged Pigeon
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