Birds of the World
 - Hill Pigeon
 - Hill Pigeon
+1
 - Hill Pigeon
Watch
 - Hill Pigeon
Listen

Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris Scientific name definitions

Luis F. Baptista, Pepper W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, and Guy M. Kirwan
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated March 20, 2013

Sign in to see your badges

Field Identification

31–35 cm (1). Similar in appearance to nominate form of C. livia, but paler grey ; black wingbars less extensive, and for most part narrower; white central tailband ; iridescence on neck tends to be less intense, and breast often suffused with wine red below gloss. Might also be confused with C. oenas (which has darker mantle, dark eye, yellow eye, no tailband and reduced black on wings) and C. eversmanni (generally darker, with mauve or pink tones to head, reduced black wingbars, scaly appearance, yellow bill and eyes, no tailband) (1). Female tends to have iridescence less intense and extensive (1). Juvenile browner, lacks neck iridescence, many wing, neck and breast feathers fringed with buff. Race turkestanica slightly paler, and often whitish on belly, with neck iridescence often more reduced (1); perhaps averages fractionally larger, having wing 216–243 mm, versus 215–230 mm in nominate (1).

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Closely related to C. livia and C. leuconota. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies


SUBSPECIES

Columba rupestris turkestanica Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Semiretschensk, Zaissen and Russian Altai S through Turkestan to Baltistan (Gilgit, Yasin, Hunza and Karakoram), and E to W Tibet and N Himalayan slopes.

SUBSPECIES

Columba rupestris rupestris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Transbaikalia and Amurland S through Mongolia to E Tibet, W Sichuan, Helan Shan, Heilongjiang and Korea.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Open rugged country, where lives in flocks around cliffs and gorges; in some areas, also frequents towns, sometimes feeding alongside feral forms of C. livia, e.g. in Mongolia (1); 2000–6100 m (1) in summer, but moves to lower elevations in winter, when found down to 1500 m (1).

Movement

Sedentary. Although no long-distance migrations undertaken, in some areas, birds descend to as low as 1500 m in winter; has also been observed making daily flights to 6100 m to mountaineers’ camps on Mt Everest.

Diet and Foraging

Mainly granivorous, feeding on seeds of weeds; also takes grain, green shoots of crops, leaves and some snails. Feeds in small flocks, occasionally into the hundreds (2), often in cultivated fields close to habitation, and sometimes with either or both C. livia and C. leuconota (1). Known to follow mule trains, to feed on spilled grain or dung, and also to take votive grains scattered by pilgrims.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Considered to be similar to that of C. livia, but a quickly repeated, gurgling “gut-gut-gut-gut” is higher-pitched and more halting than that species (3), with a rapid series of short, deep notes used in advertisement, “o-o-o-oo-oo” (1).

Breeding

Feb–Sept (mainly Apr–Jul) (1). Colonial breeder. Builds a nest platform of twigs and plant items placed in crags or cliffs; in C Asia and China also uses holes and niches in buildings. Lays two white eggs.

Not globally threatened. Apparently declining in Kazakhstan, where numbers and range reduced in Altai and Tien Shan, and is perhaps locally extinct in Manrak Mts (4). Only recently discovered in Bhutan (in 2001) (5). Considered very local in Korea (3). In Ulan-Ude region S of L Baikal, competes with C. livia, which first appeared there in 1960s; present species was at that time one of commonest birds in the region. Population has decreased from c. 3500 birds in 1978 to 1000 birds in 1989. Nesting sites were abandoned to C. livia, whenever the latter invaded; some 3–10% of population hybridizes with latter species; hybrid frequencies appear stable, however, as ethological barriers, asynchrony in onset of breeding cycles and partial geographical site isolation prevents random mating between the two species. A detailed study at Ulan-Ude revealed that present species was an exclusively wild bird in 19th century; at beginning of 20th century started to invade towns, at first gathering in winter to forage; eventually a few solitary pairs stayed to breed; in second half of 20th century city-breeding increased considerably, so that today in region of Zabaikalie only 3–5% of the population still live in wild conditions. Known from relatively few protected areas, but these include Nanda Devi National Park (India) (6).

Distribution of the Hill Pigeon - Range Map
Enlarge
  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Hill Pigeon

Recommended Citation

Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.hilpig1.01
Birds of the World

Partnerships

A global alliance of nature organizations working to document the natural history of all bird species at an unprecedented scale.