# Common Wood-Pigeon (*Columba palumbus*) The Common Wood-Pigeon is a big, gentle bird with a soft cooing sound. They like to sit in trees and can often be seen in parks and gardens, where they search for seeds and berries to eat. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Urban areas, Forests ![Common Wood-Pigeon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Columba_palumbus_ssp._palumbus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Don Loarie, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columba_palumbus_ssp._palumbus.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Wood-Pigeon is a large, plump grey bird with a striking white patch on each side of its neck and a prominent white bar across its wings, especially visible in flight. Its breast often shows a rosy-pink hue, distinguishing it from other pigeons. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Columbiformes - **Family:** Columbidae - **Genus:** Columba ## Interesting facts - A Wood-Pigeon's wings make a loud clapping sound when it takes off, startling predators! - Their nests are often so flimsy, you can sometimes see the eggs right through the bottom! - They drink water by sucking it up like a straw, unlike most birds who tip their heads back! - Wood-Pigeons can nest up to four times a year, having lots of babies quickly! ## Special abilities - **Crop Milk Power:** Common Wood-Pigeons can produce 'crop milk' from their digestive system to feed their chicks, providing vital nutrients. - **Aerial Acrobat:** Common Wood-Pigeons have powerful wings that allow for rapid take-off and quick flight, helping them escape danger fast. - **Seed Spreader:** Common Wood-Pigeons can eat many types of seeds and then spread them through their droppings, helping plants grow in new places. - **Alert Listener:** Common Wood-Pigeons have excellent hearing that helps them detect approaching predators, giving them time to flee. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-45 cm - **Wingspan:** 75-80 cm - **Weight:** 0.3-0.6 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-17 years - **Speed:** 90 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 16-18 days ## Diet & Feeding These resourceful birds mostly eat yummy plant parts like seeds, berries, and fresh green leaves they find on the ground or in trees. - **Age differences:** Young chicks are fed 'crop milk' by their parents before transitioning to an adult diet of plant matter. - **Primary Foods:** seeds, berries, buds, leaves, grains, acorns - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — A fast bird of prey that often targets Wood-Pigeons. - **Eats:** Pedunculate Oak (*Quercus robur*) — Wood-Pigeons frequently feed on acorns from oak trees. - **Eaten by:** [Stone Marten](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stone-marten) (*Martes foina*) — Martens can raid nests and prey on eggs, chicks, or even adults. - **Hunts:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Domestic cats are opportunistic predators of various birds. ## 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. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [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. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [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. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low It's best to watch birds from a distance and not to chase them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Wood-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 Common Wood-Pigeon? 40-45 cm ### What is Common Wood-Pigeon's wingspan? 75-80 cm ### How much does Common Wood-Pigeon weigh? 0.3-0.6 kg ### How long does Common Wood-Pigeon live? 3-17 years ### How fast can Common Wood-Pigeon move? 90 km/h ### What does Common Wood-Pigeon eat? These resourceful birds mostly eat yummy plant parts like seeds, berries, and fresh green leaves they find on the ground or in trees. ### Where is Common Wood-Pigeon usually found? Urban areas, Forests ## Where to spot - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [La Gola Wetland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/la-gola-wetland-park) — Mallorca, Illes Balears, ES · Park - [Aiako Harria Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aiako-harria-natural-park) — País Vasco, ES · Park - [Las Médulas Natural Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/las-medulas-natural-monument) — Castilla y León, ES · Park [View all places to see Common Wood-Pigeon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-wood-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: [Common Wood-Pigeon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-wood-pigeon)