Species · GBIF taxon 2495471
Stock Dove
Columba oenasAlso known as Stock Pigeon
Stock doves are quietly handsome woodland pigeons characterized by their iridescent green neck patches, deep amber eyes, and clean blue-grey plumage lacking the white rump or wing bars of their relatives. They are dedicated cavity nesters, often utilizing old woodpecker holes, hollow trees, and deep crevices in old buildings to raise their young. Their low, rhythmic, two-syllable cooing is a classic sound of mature European woodlands and parklands.
Cavity-NestingWoodlandPalearctic
Licensed referenceRon Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
- diet
- Seeds, grains, acorns, pine seeds, leaves, and buds
- family
- Columbidae
- threats
- Loss of mature trees with nesting cavities, agricultural intensification, and competition for nest sites
- life Span
- 3 to 5 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen for the call: Identify them by their deep, monotonous, double-noted cooing, which lacks the five-note rhythm of the woodpigeon.
- Check tree hollows: Look for them around mature trees with natural cavities or old woodpecker holes during the spring nesting season.
- Scan agricultural fields: Watch for mixed flocks feeding on stubble fields in autumn, where they associate with woodpigeons.