Skip to main content

Photo: Ariefrahman / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Sombre Pigeon

Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa

Sombre Pigeon (Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa) — Pigeons & Doves of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists
See what's near you right now

The Sombre Pigeon (Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 467 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 Cryptophaps
  5. Species poecilorrhoa

Where it lives

Montane Sulawesi

Quick facts

Weight
467 g
Family
Columbidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sombre Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

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

The Sombre Pigeon (Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa) belongs to the Columbidae family of the order Columbiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU montane Sulawesi.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 467 g, with a wing length of about 23.1 cm and a tail of around 19.2 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 97,000 km².

Songs & calls

Sombre Pigeon — Song

Recorded by Ross Gallardy Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sombre Pigeon?

The Sombre Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 467 g.

Where does the Sombre Pigeon live?

The Sombre Pigeon is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU montane Sulawesi, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Sombre Pigeon belong to?

The Sombre Pigeon (Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.

What does the Sombre Pigeon eat?

The Sombre Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.

Does the Sombre Pigeon migrate?

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

Is the Sombre 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 Sombre Pigeon make?

1 real field recording of the Sombre 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 Sombre Pigeon's range?

The Sombre Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 97,000 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

Explore more birds

More in Columbidae

More in Pigeons & Doves

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

Back to top