I feel the wood pigeon is often overlooked as being a common and clumsy bird. It is true that they often seem greedy, and will hoover up what food they can in as short time as possible from the bird feeders, filling their crops. They are the largest of the pigeon and dove family to visit our garden, indeed the largest and most common of this family that breeds in the UK.
However, I think of the wood pigeon as being rather beautiful in its own way. The light wasn't particularly good when I took the photograph above, but in the sunlight, their throats shine with an iridescent green and purple above the white collar. They are an entertaining, sometimes clown-like, bird to watch as the males try to woo the often disinterested females on surrounding house roofs.
Their loud clapping flight when spooked and their lazy-sounding call (supposed to sound like 'my-toe-is-bleeding) are familiar and easy to identify and I would miss these sounds if they were to disappear. Surely, we should appreciate all wildlife, no matter how common, if we wish to conserve it?
References:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/woodpigeon/ accessed 06/04/2020
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