Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Least Concern
Snow Pigeon (Columba leuconota)
Taxonomy
French: Pigeon des neiges German: Schneetaube Spanish: Paloma nival
Other common names:
Tibetan Dove
Taxonomy:
Columba leuconota
Vigors
, 1831,Himalayas (probably Nepal)
.Subspecies and Distribution
C. l. leuconota
Vigors, 1831 –
Alai Mts (S Kyrgyzstan) S through Pamirs to Himalayas (W Afghanistan to Sikkim); only few, old and dubious records in Kazakhstan#R and the reported breeding further N (to Altai Mts)#R shown to be an error.
C. l. gradaria
E. J. O. Hartert, 1916 – mountains of E Tibet and from E Nan Shan (Qinghai) to Yunnan, Bhutan and extreme N Myanmar.
Descriptive notes
31–34 cm; 255–307 g. Head dark slate grey; neck, underparts, lower back and upper rump white; mantle, scapulars and lesser wing-coverts light greyish brown,with... read more
Voice
Voice poorly known, but apparently quite different from closely related species. Commonest call a... read more
Habitat
Lives and roosts in colonies on rock cliffs and steep gorges in alpine zone and also above snow-... read more
Food and feeding
Feeds mostly on seeds of herbs, bulbils of Polygonum, bulbs of crocus, small roots and small hard seeds; takes grain near villages... read more
Breeding
May–Jul. Often breeds in large colonies. Builds a skimpy nest of sticks or matted grasses and a few feathers, shaped into a platform... read more
Movements
In winter both races move to the warmer climes of lower altitudes, occurring down to 1500 m,... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Very little precise information available, due largely to occupation of bleak, inaccessible areas in zone that has received relatively limited... read more
Closely related to C. livia and C. rupestris. Two subspecies recognized.