THE BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 
on 
on 
Ww 
No. 223. 
BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 
A. O. U. No. 312. Columba fasciata Say. 
Synonyms.—WiLp PIGEON. “PASSENGER PIGEON” (as frequently mis- 
identified ). 
Description.—4du/t male: Head and neck all around and underparts, chang- 
on abdomen, dull wine-purplish, darkest on crown and chest, lightening, more 
bluish, on chin and upper throat; a sharp, narrow cervical collar of white; behind 
this is a crescentic patch of rounded feathers in scale-like arrangement, iridescent, 
with brassy and bronze-green reflections; back, scapulars, and tertials lustrous 
purplish-slate; rump, upper tail-coverts, wing-coverts, lining of wings, sides and 
flanks ashy blue; crissum and under tail-coverts white; flight-feathers dusky ; 
tail ashy blue basally, ashy brown terminally and crossed by a broad subterminai 
band of dusky. Bill yellow, tipped with black; legs and feet yellow with black 
nails; a prominent red eye-ring. Adult female: Like male but paler; head and 
neck purplish; ashy brown below; cervical collar and metallic crescent subdued 
or wanting. Length about 16.00 (406.4) ; wing 8.40 (213.4); tail 5.90 (149.9); 
bill .75 (19.1); tarsus 1.00 (25.4) 
Recognition Marks.—Little hawk size; a little larger than a domestic pigeon 
and appearing much like one; tail feathers rounded; cooing notes; and noisy 
flapping flight. 
Nesting.—Nest: a rude platform of sticks placed at various heights in trees, 
usually close to stem of fir sapling, or, not infrequently, none, the bird placing egg 
on ground or shifting it at convenience. Eggs: usually 1, sometimes 2, pure 
white, elliptical ovate in shape. Av. size, 1.52 x 1.18 (38.6 x 30). Season: May 
to July locally; in southern portion of range the birds lay thru the year; two or 
more broods. 
General Range.—Western United States from Rocky Mountains to the 
Pacific; north to western British Columbia; south to Mexico and the highlands 
of Guatemala; of irregular distribution southerly, chiefly in wooded mountainous 
districts, northerly chiefly in secluded valleys. 
Range in Washington.—Not common summer resident and migrant west of 
the Cascades; of local distribution, occurring chiefly in small colonies in heavy 
coastal timber or in sequestered valleys—rapidly diminishing in numbers. : 
Authorities.—Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. EX. 1858, p. 5908. T. C&S. L'. 
Rh. Kb. Ra. Kk. B. E. 
Specimens.—(U. of W.) P. Prov. B. E. 
TO ANY but thin-blooded vegetarians the sight of a flock of ‘Wild 
Pigeons,” clustered about the trucks and halyards of a gaunt cedar, is a suffi- 
cient excuse for appetite. The birds have gorged themselves, during the early 
morning hours, upon berries and young acorns, and have retired to these 
placid heights to ruminate and fatten. Whatever may be the attractions of 
nursery or larder, the Band-tailed Pigeon is never so thoroly at home as in 
