Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · Doves and Pigeons · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Woodpigeon has been recorded in 2,822 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (95%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in all year.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 84% or more of visits
- High
- 71% to 84%
- Moderate
- 51% to 71%
- Low
- under 51%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 91% | 67% | Low |
| February | 95% | 70% | Very high |
| March | 100% | 73% | Very high |
| April | 99% | 72% | Very high |
| May | 94% | 68% | Low |
| June | 94% | 68% | Very high |
| July | 99% | 72% | Very high |
| August | 98% | 72% | Very high |
| September | 92% | 67% | Very high |
| October | 87% | 64% | Very high |
| November | 90% | 65% | Low |
| December | 93% | 68% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C42 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C62 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C90 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C93 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D00 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D13 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D31 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H34 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H98 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |