Speckled wood pigeon

Speckled wood pigeon
Speckled Wood Pigeon from Pangolakha WLS in East Sikkim, India.
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columba
Species:
C. hodgsonii
Binomial name
Columba hodgsonii
Vigors, 1832

The speckled wood pigeon (Columba hodgsonii), also known as Hodgson's pigeon or Jungle pigeon, is a medium-sized pigeon of the bird family Columbidae and genus Columba. It is a monotypic species. It measures 38–40 cm (15–15.5 in) in length, with males featuring a pale gray head and females having a grayish-brown head. Males have a distinctive pinkish-silver breast speckled with black spots and a maroon belly, while females exhibit less vibrant coloration. Both sexes have blackish-brown tails and primaries, iris color differs slightly. The species is distributed across the Himalayas extending from Kashmir to western and central China, as well as parts of India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. Inhabiting evergreen and semi-evergreen hill forests at elevations of 1,800–4,000 meters (5,900–13,100 ft), descend in winter based on food availability. Diet consists mainly of acorns, berries, and fruits, typically foraging in small flocks. Breeding occurs from May to August, with nests situated 3–8 meters (9.8–26.2 ft) above ground.