# Band-tailed Pigeon (*Patagioenas fasciata*) The Band-tailed Pigeon is a beautiful bird with a long tail and soft gray feathers. They love to eat seeds and fruits and can often be seen in trees or flying in the sky. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Band-tailed Pigeon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Patagioenas_fasciata_-San_Luis_Obispo%252C_California%252C_USA-8_%281%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: aroid from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patagioenas_fasciata_-San_Luis_Obispo%252C_California%252C_USA-8_%281%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Band-tailed Pigeon is a large, sturdy grey pigeon with a distinctive white band across its nape and an iridescent bronze-green patch on its neck. It has bright yellow legs and a yellow bill tipped with black. Its slightly iridescent purple head and dark tail make it unique. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Columbiformes - **Family:** Columbidae - **Genus:** Patagioenas ## Interesting facts - A Band-tailed Pigeon can gulp down huge acorns whole, helping to spread tree seeds far away. - Their unique call sounds less like a coo and more like an owl's deep hoot or 'whoo-WHOO!'. - These pigeons are the only native pigeon species found in North America! - They drink water by sucking it up like a straw, unlike most birds that tilt their heads back. ## Special abilities - **Crop Milk Power:** Band-tailed Pigeons can produce a nutritious 'crop milk' because of special glands, helping their young grow super fast. - **Berry Feast Master:** Band-tailed Pigeons can eat berries toxic to many animals because their specialized digestive system processes them safely. - **Forest Navigator:** Band-tailed Pigeons have strong, agile wings that help them expertly fly through dense forest canopies. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 33-40 cm - **Wingspan:** 66-71 cm - **Weight:** 0.25-0.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 12-15 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 18-20 days - **Migration Distance:** 1000 km ## Diet & Feeding These forest birds eat mostly fruits, nuts, and seeds from tall trees. - **Age differences:** Young squabs are fed 'crop milk' by both parents before switching to seeds and berries. - **Primary Foods:** acorns, elderberries, huckleberries, cascara berries, pine nuts, flower buds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Northern Goshawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-goshawk) (*Accipiter gentilis*) — A primary avian predator in dense forest habitats. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — Hunts pigeons, especially during dawn or dusk periods. - **Depends on:** [Gambel Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gambel-oak) (*Quercus gambelii*) — Pigeons rely on its acorns as a vital food source. - **Eats:** [Evergreen Huckleberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/evergreen-huckleberry) (*Vaccinium ovatum*) — Feeds on its berries, helping to disperse the seeds. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch or catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Band-tailed Pigeon? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Band-tailed Pigeon? 33-40 cm ### What is Band-tailed Pigeon's wingspan? 66-71 cm ### How much does Band-tailed Pigeon weigh? 0.25-0.5 kg ### How long does Band-tailed Pigeon live? 12-15 years ### How fast can Band-tailed Pigeon move? 80 km/h ### What does Band-tailed Pigeon eat? These forest birds eat mostly fruits, nuts, and seeds from tall trees. ### Where is Band-tailed Pigeon usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Desert Garden Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/desert-garden-conservatory) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/e-e-wilson-wildlife-area) — Oregon, US · Nature Reserve - [Hakone Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hakone-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Marymoor Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marymoor-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Bellevue Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-botanical-garden) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Descanso Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/descanso-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Band-tailed Pigeon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/band-tailed-pigeon) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Band-tailed Pigeon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/band-tailed-pigeon)