Common Wood Pigeon

The common wood pigeon or common woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), also known as simply wood pigeon or woodpigeon, is a large species in the dove and pigeon family (Columbidae), native to the western Palearctic. It has historically been known as the ring dove, and is locally known in southeast England as the "culver"; the latter name has given rise to several areas known for keeping pigeons to be named after it, such as Culver Down. The three Western European Columba pigeons, common wood pigeon, stock dove and rock dove, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the common wood pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size and the white on its neck and wing. It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast. Adult birds bear a series of green and white patches on their necks, and a pink patch on their chest. The eye colour is a pale yellow, in contrast to that of rock doves, which is orange-red, and the stock pigeon, which is black. Common wood pigeons have a flexible diet, predominantly feeding on vegetable matter, including cereal crops, leading to them being regarded as an agricultural pest. Wood pigeons are extensively hunted over large parts of their range, but this does not seem to have a great impact on their population.