About the Speckled Wood Pigeon
The speckled wood pigeon, also known as Hodgson's pigeon or the jungle pigeon, is a medium-sized pigeon of the bird family Columbidae and genus Columba. It is a monotypic species. It measures 38–40 cm (15–15.5 in) in length, with males featuring a pale gray head and females having a grayish-brown head. Males have a distinctive pinkish-silver breast speckled with black spots and a maroon belly, while females exhibit less vibrant coloration. Both sexes have blackish-brown tails and primaries, iris color differs slightly. The species is distributed across the Himalayas extending from Kashmir to western and central China, as well as parts of India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal,…
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ID tip
General Characteristics: Size of the Speckled wood pigeon is usually 38–40 cm (15–15.5 in) for adults. Adult male has a pale gray head, while female's head is grayish-brown, juvenile resembles the female but browner and paler than female. Adult male has a pinkish-silver breast and side of neck area, speckled with black spots, each feather on the breast area has a silver base, dark central streak, and the tip is silvery-pink. Hindneck feathers have black or purplish-black bases with silver tips, creating a speckled appearance. Female neck and breast color in less vibrant tones compared to male. Voice: Generally quiet and rarely vocalize, therefore limited information on vocalization. When they do call, their voice is characterized by a deep, throaty sound, described as "whock-whroo..whrooo". Call begins with a surprising first note, followed by a series of rolling sounds, with the third note being longer than the first. Often used as an alarm/warning signal.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Metallic PigeonColumba vitiensisThe adult has an iridescent purple and green crown, black wing and uppertail coverts, yellowish red iris, yellow bill, red orbital skin, white or grey chin and ear coverts, and purplish feet.
White-collared PigeonColumba albitorquesThe white-collared pigeon is 32 cm (13 in) in length.
Eastern Bronze-naped PigeonColumba delegorgueiThe eastern bronze-naped pigeon, also known as Delegorgue's pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.
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