Band-tailed Pigeon

The Band-tailed Pigeon is a large native pigeon of western North America, closely tied to coniferous and oak forests from British Columbia to Central America. It is often seen in flocks moving between feeding areas, and its name comes from the pale gray band that crosses the tip of its otherwise darker tail.

Flight feathers: broad and rounded, gray with a faint iridescent sheen on the coverts. Tail feathers: dark gray at the base with a distinct, contrasting pale grayish band near the tip, the key identifying feature for a shed tail feather. Body feathers: overall soft gray-blue, with a distinctive white crescent-shaped band across the back of the nape, bordered below by iridescent greenish or purplish feathers, and a yellow bill with a dark tip. This banded tail and white nape crescent readily separate Band-tailed Pigeon feathers from other North American pigeons and doves.

Sexes look similar, though males may show slightly more vivid iridescence on the nape. Adults have gray-blue body plumage, a white crescent on the nape underlined by iridescent green-purple feathers, and a tail with a broad pale band near the tip. Juveniles lack the white nape crescent and iridescence, appearing more uniformly gray-brown until their first full molt. There is no strong seasonal plumage variation in adults.

Band-tailed Pigeons inhabit coniferous and oak forests along the Pacific coast and interior mountains from British Columbia south through the western United States, Mexico, and into Central America. Northern populations are migratory, moving to lower elevations or farther south in winter, while southern populations tend to be more resident.

This pigeon feeds mainly on seeds, berries, and acorns, foraging both in trees and on the ground, and is known to gather in large flocks at productive feeding sites and mineral springs. It builds a simple platform nest of twigs in a tree. Its voice includes a low, owl-like double-hoot, and flocks produce a distinctive whistling or clapping sound with their wings when taking flight.