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Scaled Pigeon

Patagioenas speciosa

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFruitForestPlatform nestMedium · 258 g
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 1
Photo: Aitor · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 2
Photo: Aitor · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 3
Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 4
Photo: Alina Martin · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 5
Photo: Luan Mazzeo · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 6
Photo: Luan Mazzeo · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 7
Photo: Aitor · CC BY 4.0
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), photo 8
Photo: Aitor · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The scaled pigeon is 36 cm (14 in) long and weighs normally about 290 g (10 oz). Adult males have mainly purple brown plumage, with a paler scaly appearance to the neck and underparts. The lower underparts are whitish edged with purple. The eyering, legs and bill are red, the latter having a white tip. The female is dull dark brown rather than purplish, and is slightly smaller than the male. Scaled pigeons feed mainly on forest fruits and seeds. Birds have also been seen to feed on fresh green leaves and sometimes crops.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Scaled Pigeon

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Scaled Pigeon

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 18 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Panama Costa Rica Brazil Colombia Belize Trinidad & Tobago Ecuador Guatemala Peru Mexico Guyana Venezuela Bolivia Suriname Honduras Nicaragua French Guiana Paraguay

Recorded as a rare visitor in Argentina.

About the Scaled Pigeon

The scaled pigeon is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and Trinidad.

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

Easily confused with

Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa) Scaly-naped PigeonPatagioenas squamosaThe scaly-naped pigeon is a large slate grey pigeon (14–16 in), with maroon coloured plumage around the neck. Bare-eyed Pigeon (Patagioenas corensis) Bare-eyed PigeonPatagioenas corensisMale bare-eyed pigeons are 32 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in) long and females 30 to 34.5 cm (11.8 to 13.6 in). Plumbeous Pigeon (Patagioenas plumbea) Plumbeous PigeonPatagioenas plumbeaThe plumbeous pigeon is 34 cm (13 in) long and weighs 172 to 231 g (6.1 to 8.1 oz).

Side by side: Scaled Pigeon vs Scaly-naped Pigeon · Plumbeous Pigeon vs Scaled Pigeon · Blue Ground Dove vs Scaled Pigeon · Bare-eyed Pigeon vs Scaled Pigeon

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