Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Inverness-shire, Scotland - July 2003

Over the last century the population of Woodpigeons in Britain (and most of Europe) has significantly expanded, largely due to its colonisation of urban parks and gardens. It is now one of Britain's commonest birds.


Borders, Scotland - September 2002	Juvenile - Dumfriesshire, Scotland - November 2002

Juveniles have browner plumage than the adults and lack the white neck patch.

Juvenile - Dumfriesshire, Scotland - November 2002

It was quite a cold evening when I photographed the juvenile above and, after its acrobatic display of berry-eating, it seemed far more concerned with burying its bill as deeply as possible in its breast feathers than it was about me standing less than 10m away.