Columbiformes / Columbidae / Columba
Snow Pigeon
Columba leuconota · 雪鸽
Introduction
A species in the genus Columba and family Columbidae found in hilly regions of central Asia. It forages in open country in pairs or small groups and roosts at night on cliffs, breeding in crevices. The IUCN rates its conservation status as Least Concern.
Description
Grey, black, pale brown, and white bird with a blackish head contrasting with a white neck collar and white underparts shading into ashy on the abdomen. Backs are brownish-grey with a white patch on the lower back. Wings are pale grey with three brown bands. Black tails feature a clear white band in the middle that narrows and curves forward to reach the tip of the outermost tail feathers. Young birds have narrow, pale buff margins to the feathers of the upper parts and wings, and the white of the underparts is sullied with buff.
Identification
Blackish head contrasts with white neck collar. White underparts shade into ashy on the abdomen. Brownish-grey back has a white patch on the lower back. Pale grey wings display three brown bands. Black tail has a clear white middle band narrowing and curving forward to the tip of the outermost feathers.
Distribution & Habitat
Resident in rocky hills of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Two subspecies: C. l. leuconota occurs in the western Himalayas from western Afghanistan to Sikkim, and is a summer visitor to the Alay Mountains and Pamir; C. l. gradaria occurs in the mountains of eastern Tibet and from eastern Nan Shan (Qinghai) to Yunnan and extreme northern Myanmar.
Behavior & Ecology
Frequents rocky hill sides and sequestered valleys up to the snow line. Feeds on berries, grain, buds, bulbs, seeds, and shoots in fields during the day. Generally shy and wary. Roosts on cliffs. Winter gatherings of 150 or more occur, often with hill pigeons and rock doves. In summer, found in pairs or small flocks at lower heights. Breeds in colonies in crevices, caves, or rock ledges. Nests are untidy interlaced structures of sticks, grass, straw, and feathers, generally reused annually with minor repairs. Clutch size is usually two eggs.
Conservation
Assessed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is a common and widely distributed species with an extremely large range and a population believed to be stable.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columba
Subspecies (2)
-
Columba leuconota gradaria
mountains of eastern Tibet to southwestern China (Yunnan) and far northern Myanmar
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
