How to attract band-tailed pigeons to your yard
Band-tailed Pigeons respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 12 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Band-tailed Pigeon is a year-round resident in 12 states and provinces, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and 6 more — there, a yard can host it in every season.
Plant what band-tailed pigeons use
These native plants are tied to the Band-tailed Pigeon in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Shrub | 11 | Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load. |
| Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea | Shrub | 11 | White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover. |
| Smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Shrub | 11 | Red fruit heads hang on through winter. |
| Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum | Tree | 10 | Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter. |
| Golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 9 | Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit. |
| Gambel oak Quercus gambelii | Tree | 6 | Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies. |
| Western serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia | Shrub | 6 | Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer. |
| Highbush cranberry Viburnum trilobum | Shrub | 4 | Red fruit persists until late winter when other food is gone. |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 4 | Blue fruit on red stems in early fall. |
| Buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea | Shrub | 3 | Tart red fruit that persists into winter. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, vine). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, vine gives band-tailed pigeons food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Acorns, berries and grain, often in flocks.
- Warm months
- Elderberry, madrone and cherry fruit
- Cold months
- Acorns and waste grain
- At feeders
- Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower (on platforms)
Feeder style matters as much as food: platform / tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Flocks descend on platform feeders and birdbaths in oak and conifer country of the West. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Flimsy twig platform on a tree branch.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 1–2 eggs
- Incubation
- 18–20 days
- Nestling period
- 25–30 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Arizona but not until May in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts band-tailed pigeons to a yard?
Food they actually eat (cracked corn, black-oil sunflower (on platforms)), native plants such as Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Smooth sumac, clean water and suitable nesting cover: flimsy twig platform on a tree branch.
What plants attract band-tailed pigeons?
Across the Band-tailed Pigeon's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), Golden currant (Ribes aureum). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting band-tailed pigeons?
Nesting starts around March in Arizona and as late as May in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Band-tailed Pigeon — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Band-tailed Pigeon life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Band-tailed Pigeon — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.