Photo: Lip Kee from Singapore, Republic of Singapore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-crowned Pigeon
Patagioenas leucocephala
White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) — Pigeons & Doves of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 240 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 Patagioenas
- Species leucocephala
Where it lives
Southern Florida to West Indies and eastern MA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 240 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-crowned Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-crowned Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s Florida to West Indies and e MA.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 240 g, with a wing length of about 19.1 cm and a tail of around 12.2 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 239,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-crowned Pigeon?
The White-crowned Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 240 g.
Where does the White-crowned Pigeon live?
The White-crowned Pigeon is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s Florida to West Indies and e MA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-crowned Pigeon belong to?
The White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the White-crowned Pigeon eat?
The White-crowned Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the White-crowned Pigeon migrate?
The White-crowned Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-crowned 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 White-crowned Pigeon make?
1 real field recording of the White-crowned Pigeon — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-crowned Pigeon's range?
The White-crowned Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 239,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more 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.