Plain Pigeon

The plain pigeon is a large-bodied bird 38–41 cm (15–16 in) long that superficially resembles a large feral pigeon or a very plainly-plumaged band-tailed pigeon. At a distance it appears pale blue-gray overall. The head, hindneck, breast, and part of the folded wing are colored with a red-wine wash. When folded, the wing shows a white leading edge; in flight, it forms a conspicuous wing bar. The eyes have a pale yellow iris; the legs and feet are dark red, and the bill black. The female is slightly smaller and duller than the male. Juveniles are browner overall, with pale wing margins and dark eyes. On Jamaica, it can be confused with the Jamaican endemic ring-tailed pigeon P. caribaea, but that has a red eye, a gray wing lacking the wine-colored wash of plain pigeon, and a paler tail with an obvious dark blackish-gray band across the base of the tail.