Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)

[order] COLUMBIFORMES | [family] Columbidae | [latin] Patagioenas fasciata | [UK] Band-tailed Pigeon | [FR] Pigeon du Pacifique | [DE] Bandtaube | [ES] Paloma de collar | [NL] Bandstaartduif

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

Heavily built; might
be mistaken for a Rock Dove (Domestic Pigeon) except for its woodland or mountain habitat and greater tendency to alight in trees. Note the broad pale band across the end of the fanlike tail. At close range, shows a
i white crescent on nape. Feet yellow. Bill yellow with dark tip.

Listen to the sound of Band-tailed Pigeon

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/B/Band-tailed Pigeon.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

North America, Latin America : Southwest British Columbia to Northwest Argentina

Habitat

Oak canyons, foothills, chaparral, mountain forests. Mainly in wooded or semi-open habitats; moves around to take advantage of changing food supplies. Breeds in oak woodland along the coast and in mountains, also i
n pine-oak woods and fir forest. May forage along streams in lowland desert. Increasingly regular in suburban areas on Pacific Coast.

Reproduction

Several pairs may nest close together in a loose colony. In courtship, male flies up and then glides in a wide circle, giving a wheezing call and fluttering wings toward end of glide. On perch, male coos with chest and neck puffed up, tail lowered and spr
ead.
Nest: Site is in tree, usually 15-
40′ above ground, but can be lower or much higher. Placed on fork of horizontal branch or at base of branch against trunk. Nest is bulky but loosely built platform of sticks; male brings material, female builds.
Eggs: 1, sometimes 2. White. Incubation is by both parents, 18-20 days.
Young: Fed by both parents. At first, fed only “pigeon milk” secreted by crop of adults; later, solid food is mixed with this. Young leave nest about 25-
30 days after hatching, are tended by parents for some time. 2 broods per year, sometimes 3.

Feeding habits

Mostly nuts, seeds, berries.
Diet shifts with season. Acorns are major part of diet when available. Eats many berries, including those of elderberry, manzanita, juniper, wild grape, many others. Also eats seeds, tender young spruce cones, buds, young leaves, flowers, occasionally in
sects.
Behavior: Will forage on ground or in trees. Can climb about with great agility in small branches, even hanging upside down to reach berries. Usually forages in flocks, even during breeding season.

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Southwestern British Columbia through Pacific states and Rockies to Argentina. Migration:
Present all year in some areas, especially on Pacific Coast; mainly summer resident elsewhere, including northwestern coast and southwestern interior. Often nomadic, flocks concentrating where food supplies are good. Strays have reached Atlantic Coast.

Distribution map