Photo: thibaudaronson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Laurel Pigeon
Columba junoniae
Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 440 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Columba
- Species junoniae
Where it lives
El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife (western, central Canary Is., central Macaronesia, northwest of northern Africa)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 440 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Laurel Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Laurel Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife (w, c Canary Is., c Macaronesia, nw of n Africa).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 440 g, with a wing length of about 21.9 cm and a tail of around 15.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1,211 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Laurel Pigeon?
The Laurel Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 440 g.
Where does the Laurel Pigeon live?
The Laurel Pigeon is found across Africa with a range covering AF El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife (w, c Canary Is., c Macaronesia, nw of n Africa), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Laurel Pigeon belong to?
The Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Laurel Pigeon eat?
The Laurel Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Laurel Pigeon migrate?
The Laurel Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Laurel Pigeon endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Laurel Pigeon make?
1 real field recording of the Laurel Pigeon — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Laurel Pigeon's range?
The Laurel Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 1,211 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Columbidae
A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.