Band-Tailed Pigeon

Columba fasciata

There are two distinct populations of these birds, with no apparent overlap in their respective ranges. One group lives on the North American west coast from British Columbia into northern Baja California (Mexico). In southern California and north to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, these birds are resident year round.

The second group visits the southern inter-mountain states of the USA only in summer and spends winters in higher elevations throughout Mexico, Central America and south to northern Argentina.

The North American population has suffered an over 60% decline since 1966. Unregulated hunting has taken a huge toll on these birds, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Several states continue to allow hunting of these birds.