Although this large pigeon looks a lot like the introduced Rock Pigeon, it's a native. The Band-tailed Pigeon is found in two distinct regions in the American West, as well as throughout Central and South America

Interesting Information

• Though the species has two distinct breeding populations in the United States, individuals do move from one region to the other. One Band-tailed Pigeon banded in Oregon was shot a year later in Florida, well outside the normal range.

• An Oregon study found that the average distance a Band-tailed Pigeon traveled from its nest to a feeding site was 5 km (3.1 mi).

• In June, and again in the late summer, they congregate at mineral springs where they ingest salts. Unlike most birds, including other pigeons, they are able to drink without raising their head.

• The Band-tailed Pigeon is the largest in North America.

• The parasitic louse Columbicola extinctus, believed to have become extinct with the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, was recently rediscovered on the Band-tailed Pigeon.

Description