Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columba elphinstonii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Columba elphinstonii (Sykes, 1832)

36–42 cmLength379 gWeight

The Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) is a large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon has been recorded at 12 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nandi HillsIndia900 records
  2. Sinhagad ValleyIndia81 records
  3. Thattekkad Bird SanctuaryIndia52 records
More places
  1. Bondla Wildlife SanctuaryIndia14 records
  2. HergaIndia10 records
  3. GKVK CampusIndia9 records
  4. Manipal – End PointIndia6 records
  5. College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PookodeIndia6 records
  6. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary – UrulanthanniIndia5 records
  7. Vetal Tekdi/HillIndia4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) is a large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They are best identified in the field by their large size, dark colours and the distinctive checkerboard pattern on their nape.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon?

The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon is about 36–42 cm long and weighs around 379 g.

Where does the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: southwestern India. It is most often recorded in India.

When is the best time to see the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon as Least Concern.

What does the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon in?

It belongs to the family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae), order Columbiformes.

At a glance

Length
36–42 cm
Weight
379 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
208 mm
Tail
152 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
27 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: southwestern India

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pigeons, Doves Columbidae
Genus
Columba

Other birds in the genus Columba

Rock DoveRock DoveColumba liviaHill PigeonHill PigeonColumba rupestrisSnow PigeonSnow PigeonColumba leuconotaSpeckled PigeonSpeckled PigeonColumba guineaWhite-collared PigeonWhite-collared PigeonColumba albitorquesStock DoveStock DoveColumba oenasYellow-eyed PigeonYellow-eyed PigeonColumba eversmanniSomali PigeonSomali PigeonColumba oliviaeCommon Wood PigeonCommon Wood PigeonColumba palumbusTrocaz PigeonTrocaz PigeonColumba trocazBolle's PigeonBolle's PigeonColumba bolliiLaurel PigeonLaurel PigeonColumba junoniae
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Richard Yank. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages