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Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Short-billed Pigeon

Patagioenas nigrirostris

Short-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas nigrirostris) — Pigeons & Doves of Central America & Caribbean.

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The Short-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas nigrirostris) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 176 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Columbiformes
  3. Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
  4. Genus Patagioenas
  5. Species nigrirostris

Where it lives

Southeastern Mexico to northwestern Colombia

Quick facts

Weight
176 g
Family
Columbidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Short-billed 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 Short-billed Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Short-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas nigrirostris) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA se Mexico to nw Colombia.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 176 g, with a wing length of about 16.2 cm and a tail of around 10.7 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 352,000 km².

Songs & calls

Short-billed Pigeon — Song

Recorded by Joost van Bruggen Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Short-billed Pigeon?

The Short-billed Pigeon is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 176 g.

Where does the Short-billed Pigeon live?

The Short-billed Pigeon is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA se Mexico to nw Colombia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Short-billed Pigeon belong to?

The Short-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas nigrirostris) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.

What does the Short-billed Pigeon eat?

The Short-billed Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.

Does the Short-billed Pigeon migrate?

The Short-billed Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Short-billed 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 Short-billed Pigeon make?

1 real field recording of the Short-billed 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 Short-billed Pigeon's range?

The Short-billed Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 352,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

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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.

1 min read

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