Hill Pigeon vs Shining Imperial-pigeon

Columba rupestris compared with Ducula chalconota

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Hill Pigeon Shining Imperial-pigeon
Scientific Name Columba rupestris Ducula chalconota
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 44.6 cm (17.6 in) 42.4 cm (16.7 in)
Weight 238.68200000000002 g (8.42 oz) 553.5 g (19.52 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Hill Pigeon only

None

Shining Imperial-pigeon only

Song & Call Comparison

Hill Pigeon

Song

Soft, gentle cooing call; pure notes with mild quality carrying across open rocky terrain. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Shining Imperial-pigeon

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Hill Pigeon

Least Concern

Shining Imperial-pigeon

How to Tell Them Apart

Hill Pigeon

Plumage

Hill Pigeon: pale gray; dark wing bars; white tail band; rock pigeon relative; Himalayan cliff species; band-tailed pattern

Shining Imperial-pigeon

About These Birds

Hill Pigeon

Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris) — 31–35 cm. Pale grey with a white rump; dark terminal tail band; two black wing bars; pinkish breast. Inhabits rocky hillsides, cliffs, and high-altitude valleys from Central Asia to China and Mongolia at 3,000–5,000 m. Granivore; forms large flocks in winter on lower slopes and farmland.

Shining Imperial-pigeon

Shining Imperial-pigeon (Ducula chalconota), 38 cm. Richly iridescent bronze-green upperparts with a contrasting pale grey head and underparts. Found in montane forest of New Guinea from 700 to 2,200 m. Frugivore. Least Concern; common in hill and montane forest.

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