The differences between pigeons and doves: an ID guide
Discover the five UK species and how they’ve been bred to live alongside people.
Birds and wildlife
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusGroup: Pigeons and dovesUK Conservation status:Amber
How to identify
The UK's largest and most common pigeon, the Woodpigeon is largely grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches, clearly visible in flight. Although shy in the countryside it can be tame and approachable in towns and cities. Its cooing call is a familiar sound in woodland as is the loud clatter of its wings when it flies away.Call
Woodpigeon
Susanne Kuijpers / xeno-canto
Key features to look out for:
- Largest pigeon in the UK
- Grey body
- Pink breast
- White patch on neck
Top tip: Thick white stripes across their wings make them easy to ID in flight.
When and where to see them?
Typically associated with woodland, Woodpigeons have adapted to live alongside people, and can be seen on farmland, parkland, grasslands and lawns.
While they are a resident bird to the UK and can be seen all year round, they do migrate. There are roughly five million breeding pairs across the UK, and these numbers are boosted in winter by continental birds.
Throughout the autumn months, a mysterious spectacle takes place and it’s easy to spot in the south-west of England and south Wales. On a clear day, with low winds, flocks of thousands of Woodpigeons can be seen overhead.
No-one knows where these birds are heading. They could be breeding birds from further north coming to spend winter in the balmier climes of the English riviera. Or these birds might be long-distance travellers from as far as Scandinavia, preparing to cross the Channel and head to France and Spain.
Key
- Resident
- Passage
- Summer
- Winter
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec