Band-tailed Pigeon
Patagioenas fasciata
The Band-tailed Pigeon is the closest living relative to the famously extinct Passenger Pigeon.
- Scientific name
- Patagioenas fasciata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Columbiformes › Columbidae › Patagioenas
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coniferous and mixed forests, oak woodlands, and mountainous regions.
- Diet
- Acorns, berries, elderberries, wild cherries, and various seeds.
- Range
- Pacific Coast of North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America
- Size
- Length: 33-40 cm; Wingspan: 66 cm
- Lifespan
- 6 to 22 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to logging, Avian Trichomonosis (a parasite), and historical overhunting.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are shy and will likely fly away if approached. Observe from a distance with binoculars to avoid disturbing their feeding or nesting. Do not offer human food as it lacks necessary nutrients.
The band-tailed pigeon ( Patagioenas fasciata ) is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean pigeon and the ring-tailed pigeon, which form a clade of Patagioenas with a terminal tail band and iridescent plumage on their necks. There are at least 8 sub-species, and some authorities split this species into the northern band-tailed pigeon ( Patagioenas fasciata ) and the southern band-tailed pigeon ( Patagioenas albilinea ).
Photo: Esteban Poveda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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