Appearance

Appearance

A stocky gray pigeon with paler upperparts than a Rock Pigeon, a white patch on the back, two black wing bars, and a broad white band across the black tail.

Look-alikes

Rock PigeonColumba livia

Look at the tail: the Hill Pigeon has a broad white band across its black tail, while a Rock Pigeon has only a black band at the tip. A white lower back doesn't help, because wild-type Rock Pigeons have one too. Hill Pigeons also look paler above.

Why they get mixed up · Same size, shape, and gray coloring, and the two sometimes interbreed.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• Cliffs and gorges
• Mountain villages
• Terraced fields

Range

Ranges from Afghanistan and Central Asia through the Himalayas, Tibet, Mongolia, and China to southern Siberia and Korea. It does not occur in North America.

Preferred conditions

Open, rocky country from about 5,000 to 20,000 ft (1,500–6,100 m). It is very tame and often lives near settlements, camps, and pilgrimage routes.

Behavior

Diet

Mostly seeds, plus green shoots and leaves and the occasional small snail. Flocks often feed in terraced farm fields, and they will scavenge leftovers around camps.

Life cycle

Breeding season

Can start as early as February in Tajikistan; late broods in Tibet may fledge as late as September.

Nest

Nests in dense colonies on cliffs and rocky outcrops, or in holes in walls and houses. The nest is a simple platform of twigs or plant stems.

Clutch size

Usually 2 eggs; pairs may raise two broods a year.

Connected species

Close relatives

• Snow PigeonColumba leuconota

  A Himalayan cousin with a similar tail pattern in flight; unlike the Hill Pigeon, it has a dark head that contrasts with a pale neck.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction

Status

In South Korea it has become a nationally endangered species, largely because of competition and hybridization with feral Rock Pigeons.