Band-tailed Pigeon
 Patagioenas fasciata

AKA: White-collared Pigeon, Blue Pigeon

pic TFH

©Gone to the Birds

Distribution: Western North America from Vancouver Island, south-west British Columbia, Montana; western North Dakota, south to southern California; Central America & northern & western South America; south to northern Argentina. 

Taxonmy & Subspecies: forms a superspecies with P. araucana & P. caribaea. Proposed race tucumana of NW Argentina invalid. Race albilinea sometimes considered a separate species - incorporating crissalis & roraimae. Seven subspecies recognized: P. f. fasciata (Say 1823); P. f. vioscae (Brewster 1888); P. f. letonai (Dickey & van Rossem 1926); P. f. parva (Griscom 1935); P. f. crissalis (Salvadori 1893); P. f. roraimae (Chapman 1929); P. f. albilinea (Bonaparte 1854)

Per Gibbs:This species is "polytypic" with two distinct geographical groups: the "Band-tailed Pigeons" of N. America & northern Central America south to northern Nicaragua. Then there is the "White-naped Pigeons" of Costa Rica, Panama, Andes & the Pantepui region. The northern races are quite similar to each other & the races of South America are quite distinct from each other.
Band-tailed races: 4 recognized: P. f. fasciata (Say 1823); P. f. vioscae (Brewster 1888); P. f. letonai (Dickey & van Rossem 1926); P. f. parva (Griscom 1935) White-naped races: 3 recognized: P. f. crissalis (1893); P. f. albilinea (Bonaparte 1854); P. f. roraimae (Chapman 1929).

©Dr Ivan Pelicella

Description: Length 33-40 cm. Band-tailed nominate N.A. race only: Head, neck, breast and underparts light pinkish purple tinged with grey shading to white on the ventral region & undertail coverts. A narrow white half collar between the mauve-pink of the head & the olive-green (bronzy olive-green) hind neck. Mantle shoulders dull olive grey; outer or lower wing shield bluish grey edged narrowly with white. Lower back, rump and upper tail coverts bluish grey. Base of tail  blue grey with a black band across it. Distal half of tail feathers creamy grey. Eye cere reddish, iris pale yellow with mauve or pinkish outer ring. Beak yellow with black tip in all races except the following two: albilinea & roraimae. Legs & feet yellow. Female similar but duller on the neck & chest areas. Juvenile paler than female with pale rusty fawn feather edging on most of the body feathers. Juvenile's eyes dark, bill yellow & black tipped, legs & feet dull yellow.

Nesting: 1 white egg, incubation 18 to 20 days; young fledge in 23 -28 days. Juvenile Pictures

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