Columba elphinstonii (Sykes, 1832) - Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Subspecies in India

This is also known as the Nilgiri Pigeon.
 

This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).
 
 

Photo Gallery and Species Biology


This rare and endemic species is only found in the forests of Western Ghats of India at the heights of 20m-2,250m asl (BirdLife International 2017). 
 
Conservation Status:
 
This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).
 

According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population estimate 2,500-9,999 individuals. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat destruction due to deforestation and commercial developments. Hunting for food and sport also led to a low survival rate of individuals (BirdLife International 2001).
 
StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala1
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra211
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total311

BirdLife International 2017. Columba elphinstonii (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22690173A110095502. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22690173A110095502.en. Accessed on 03 February 2020.
 

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Columba elphinstonii (Sykes, 1832) – Nilgiri Wood Pigeon. In Satose, V., A. Bayani, V. Ramachandran, P. Roy, and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.17. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.birdsofindia.org/columba-elphinstonii, accessed 2024/11/08.