Page 235 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

PIGEONS AND DOVES
Order Columbiformes Family Columbidae Species Columba oenas
Stock Dove
glossed
green neck
black wingtips
and trailing
edge grey underwings blue-grey
body deep wine-
pale midwings
pink breast
two short dark
bars on wings
IN FLIGHT
dark band
on tail
small, neat, round
head

bright pink-
red legs
handsome bird of farms and parkland, the Stock Dove also finds
A suitable nesting habitat in quarries and crags in remote upland FLIGHT: fast, powerful; deep wingbeats; display
areas. It is slightly smaller than a Woodpigeon, rounder and blunter- flight gliding on steeply raised wings, rocking from
winged than a “racing pigeon” or the town pigeon of city streets. side to side.
It is easily overlooked, but its song is distinctive and
display flights frequently draw attention to it. It
regularly mixes with more numerous Woodpigeons, SOCIAL BIRD
Jackdaws (see p.368), and Rooks (see p.369) when Evening gatherings
can be large, but
feeding in fields, and roosts with them in woodland. are often out-
VOICE Deep, rhythmic, booming coo, repeated several numbered by
times with increased emphasis, ooo-woo ooo-woo. Woodpigeons in
NESTING Tree hole, ledge, or cavity in building, woodland roosts.
quarry, or cliff; 2 eggs;
2 or 3 broods; all year. GROUND
FEEDING Forages FEEDER
widely on ground Seeds are washed
looking for seeds, up at the edges of
freshwater floods,
grain, buds, shoots, and Stock Doves
roots, leaves, and often gather to
berries; does not exploit such abun-
visit gardens. dance of food.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Widespread except in far
ROCK DOVE longer neck WOODPIGEON juvenile; N Europe: mostly summer visitor in
see p.232 see p.234
E Europe, resident in W. In wide
variety of places from lowland
white on
wings farms and parkland with many old
larger trees to higher moors with cliffs
bigger and quarries.
wingbars FERAL/TOWN PIGEON long
more pointed wings; often tail Seen in the UK
white underwings; see p.232 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 32–34cm (12 1 ⁄2 –13 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 63–69cm (25–27in) Weight 290–330g (11–12oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure
233