Common Wood Pigeon
Photo: Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden · CC BY 2.0

Doves and Pigeons

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

LCLeast Concern
Family
Doves and Pigeons (Columbidae)
Order
Columbiformes

Overview

The common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), also known simply as the wood pigeon, is a large pigeon native to the western Palearctic. It belongs to the genus Columba, which includes closely related species such as the rock dove (Columba livia). It has a flexible diet, feeding mainly on plant material, including cereals, and is therefore considered an agricultural pest. Wood pigeons are extensively hunted over much of their range, but this does not appear to have a major impact on their population numbers.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.