Europe's largest pigeon

The Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is Europe’s largest pigeon. It is about 40-42 centimetres (16 inches) in length with a wing span of 75-80 centimetres (30-32 inches), weighing about 500 grams (just over a pound).

It has grey feathers, a pinkish chest, and a green, white and purple collar around its neck. The tail has a black tip and the wings have white patches. They feed on seeds, grain and crops. Unlike other birds that scoop up water to drink and lift their heads to let the water flow down their throat, the Wood Pigeon sucks up water. This action might be because they drink a lot of water – more than most birds of the same size.

The Wood Pigeon nests in trees or on buildings. The female’s eggs are white and shiny, about 4 centimetres long, and they usually lay two eggs in a clutch. When the chicks hatch (after 17-19 days), the mother feeds her young on milky liquid from their crops. The young spend about five weeks in the nest before leaving their parents.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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