Common wood pigeon facts for kids

Common wood pigeon

The common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) is a large type of pigeon that you can often see in Europe and parts of western Asia. It's the biggest and most common pigeon in Europe! These birds are known for their soft cooing sounds and their beautiful grey feathers.

About Wood Pigeons

Common wood pigeons are well-known birds. They are often seen in parks, gardens, and farmlands. These birds are very adaptable, meaning they can live in many different places. They are a familiar sight to many people.

What They Look Like

Wood pigeons are mostly grey. They have a distinct white patch on each side of their neck. This white patch helps you tell them apart from other pigeons. They also have a white band on their wings, which is easy to spot when they fly. Their chest is often a lovely pinkish-grey color.

Where They Live

You can find common wood pigeons across most of Europe. They also live in parts of western Asia. They prefer areas with trees, like forests, woodlands, and even city parks. They are very common in towns and cities. This is because they can find plenty of food and safe places to nest.

What They Eat

Wood pigeons are mostly herbivores, meaning they eat plants. Their diet includes seeds, berries, and young leaves. They especially love to eat crops like peas and grains from farms. Sometimes, they might eat small insects or worms too. They often forage on the ground, looking for food.

Their Daily Lives

Wood pigeons are active during the day. They spend a lot of time looking for food. They build their nests in trees or thick bushes. A female wood pigeon usually lays two white eggs. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. The baby pigeons, called squabs, grow very quickly.

Wood pigeons make a distinctive five-note cooing sound. It sounds like "coo-COO-coo-coo-coo." You can often hear this sound in parks and gardens. They are quite shy birds but have become more used to humans in urban areas.

Related pages

• Pigeon

Images for kids

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  Common wood pigeon perched on a fence. Photograph taken in Cambridge, England

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  Adult common wood pigeon, photograph taken in Birmingham, England

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  Adult sitting on its nest in a tree

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  Egg

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  Hatching of a Common Wood Pigeon

See also

In Spanish: Paloma torcaz para niños