Band-tailed Pigeon

Every morning from my dining room, I can see the top of a tall fir tree in my neighborhood.  Always some birds are there looking around to decide which direction to go.  They can be a flock of Starlings, several Robins, a couple of Flickers, a Hawk, and once in a long while a Band-tailed Pigeon.

On a rare occasion, one or two can come down to visit my backyard.

On a summer day, a couple of them wanted to satisfy their thirst at the birdbath.  

Just in case you wonder about the difference between a pigeon and a dove... Per National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America,  "The larger species of these birds usually are called pigeons, the smaller ones dove."  Since they are strong and fast fliers, until fairly recently (those days without Internet!) people used pigeons for sending often an urgent, important message tied onto their legs.  They have done quite a job for us.