From Opus

Columba oenas

Photo by Sandpiper
Rufford, Nottinghamshire, UK

[edit] Identification

• Small rounded head
• Bluish-grey
• Pink breast
• Glossy green neck patch
• Two short dark wing bars
• Short tail
• Pink legs

Juvenile
Photo by Buddhist Vegan Birder
Merseyside, UK

[edit] Similar Species

This medium sized pigeon is slightly smaller than the closely related Rock Pigeon. It has a similar plumage but lacking the white rump. It also has a dark eye and the plumage is generally darker (beware aberrantly plumaged Feral Pigeons).

[edit] Distribution

Europe, Middle East, north Africa and Asia.
Europe: Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, British Isles, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Mallorca, Andorra, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Italy, Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Crete, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova

Photo by gerwin
Almere, The Netherlands, May 2007

Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt
Middle East: Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Asia: Russia, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia and China

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

There are 2 subspecies:

• C. o. oenas:

• Western Europe and north-western Africa to Caspian Sea and Kazakstan

• C. o. yarkandensis:

• Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to Tien Shan and eastern Xinjiang

An additional subspecies hyrcana is generally considered invalid^[2].

[edit] Habitat

They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including woodland, marshes, with reed beds, meadows, scrubland, farmland, cliffs and quarries.

[edit] Behaviour

Have been observed drinking water whilst flying.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes young shoots and seedlings. Stock Doves are a staple bird of farmland and are often seen feeding on crops.

[edit] Breeding

They nest in trees in small copses and woods.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links