Species · GBIF taxon 2495310
White-crowned Pigeon
Patagioenas leucocephalaAlso known as White-headed Dove, White-headed Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeons are striking, slate-grey birds of the Caribbean and southern Florida that rely heavily on coastal mangrove forests for nesting and hardwood hammocks for foraging. They fly long distances over open water between islands to find seasonal fruits, traveling in fast, direct flocks. Their survival is closely tied to the preservation of these fragile coastal ecosystems, which face heavy development pressure.
FrugivorousCoastalNear Threatened
Licensed referenceLip Kee from Singapore, Republic of Singapore / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Frugivorous (primarily wild fruits and berries, especially poisonwood)
- family
- Columbidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, coastal development, hunting, and collisions with man-made structures
- life Span
- 10 to 14 years in the wild
NT
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Highly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and disturbance during the nesting season in mangrove keys.
Keep a respectful distance from nesting colonies in mangroves, especially during the summer breeding season.- Listen for Calls: Listen for their deep, hollow, four-syllable cooing, which sounds like 'who-who-coo-coo' coming from dense canopy.
- Scan the Canopy: Look for them feeding silently in the tops of poisonwood, fig, and sea grape trees during early morning.
- Watch the Coastline: Spot them flying fast and low over the ocean between foraging islands and nesting keys.