by Calvin Jones

The woodpigeon is a common resident, and can be found all over Ireland throughout the year. Originally a bird of woodland, farmland and open countryside, it is becoming an increasingly regular sight in the parks and gardens of our towns and cities, strutting around on its short legs pecking frantically at the ground in search of food.

This is by far the largest of Ireland’s dove and pigeon species, and is easily recognised by it’s stocky build, prominent white neck patch (although this is missing in juvenile birds) and the distinctive white bars on the wings when it takes to the air. Its plumage is predominantly grey, with a dusky pink breast, black wing tips and a black band at the tip of the tail. Males and females are similar in appearance.
Woodpigeons are between 38-43cm (c. 15-17 inches) long with a wingspan of 75-80 cm (c. 30-31.5 inches) and weigh from 284 to 614 g (c. 0.6 to 1.35 lb). In flight the woodpigeon’s bulk lends it a more ponderous appearance than other members of the dove and pigeon family, with a noticeably deeper belly and longer tail.

The cooing call of the woodpigeon is a familiar sound of woodland and farmland. It consists of five notes that sound like “coo coooo coo cu-cu”, although the last two notes are sometimes omitted. Another familiar sound is the rapid “clatter” made by the wings as a disturbed bird takes flight.
In general the woodpigeon can be considered a vegetarian. It’s diet consists of crops like cabbage, peas, sprouts and grain along with buds, shoots, seeds, nuts and berries. Now and again it may pick at the occasional invertebrate.

Woodpigeons are big eaters, and can consume a lot of food in one sitting, storing it in their engorged crops. As they are so much bigger than other seed eaters they can cope with much larger, tougher seeds like wheat, maize and even dried peas. Up to thirty five acorns have been found in the crop of one wood pigeon, and more than 250 beech “nuts” in the crop of another.

Food passes from the bird’s crop through into the gizzard, a muscular grinding organ that performs a function similar to our teeth. In pigeons this organ is incredibly strong and is lined with hard abrasive plates that grind and break down the toughest of food before it passes into the bird’s stomach.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own