Photo: JMK / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Olive Pigeon
Columba arquatrix
African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 400 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Columba
- Species arquatrix
Quick facts
- Weight
- 400 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Olive 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 African Olive Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) belongs to the Columbidae family of the order Columbiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Ethiopia to South Africa and Angola.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 400 g, with a wing length of about 22.5 cm and a tail of around 13.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Olive Pigeon?
The African Olive Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 400 g.
Where does the African Olive Pigeon live?
The African Olive Pigeon is found across Africa with a range covering AF Ethiopia to South Africa and Angola, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the African Olive Pigeon belong to?
The African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the African Olive Pigeon eat?
The African Olive Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the African Olive Pigeon migrate?
The African Olive Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Olive Pigeon endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the African Olive Pigeon make?
1 real field recording of the African Olive 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 African Olive Pigeon's range?
The African Olive Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 1.5 million 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.