Wyoming · Year-round resident

Band-tailed Pigeons in Wyoming

When band-tailed pigeons are present in Wyoming, when they nest, which native Wyoming plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–5b yard.

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)Band-tailed PigeonPatagioenas fasciata

Status in Wyoming: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–August
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–5b

When to expect band-tailed pigeons in Wyoming

Band-tailed Pigeons live in Wyoming all year. Cold, very windy winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Semi-arid high plains and basins with major mountain ranges; most towns lie above 5,000 ft.

Nesting in Wyoming

Across Wyoming, band-tailed pigeons typically nest from May–August. Plan around that window: April for setup, August for clean-out.

Short, warm summers with cool nights.

Band-tailed Pigeons don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, bur oak, chokecherry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Native Wyoming plants that attract band-tailed pigeons

Of the regional native plants we track for Wyoming, these 8 provide food or cover band-tailed pigeons use:

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis · Tree

Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Gambel oak

Quercus gambelii · Tree

Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.

Golden currant

Ribes aureum · Shrub

Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.

Feeding band-tailed pigeons through the Wyoming year

Top foods: Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower (on platforms).
In Wyoming's winter: Cold, very windy winters.

Full diet breakdown for band-tailed pigeons · Best feeder for band-tailed pigeons

Frequently asked

Are band-tailed pigeons in Wyoming year-round?

Yes. Band-tailed Pigeons are year-round residents in Wyoming.

When do band-tailed pigeons nest in Wyoming?

Nesting in Wyoming typically runs May–August, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 1–2 eggs, incubated for 18–20 days.

What native plants attract band-tailed pigeons in Wyoming?

Smooth sumac, Bur oak, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Common hackberry, Rocky Mountain juniper, Gambel oak, Golden currant are native plants in Wyoming that provide food or cover for band-tailed pigeons.

Band-tailed Pigeons in other regions

Arizona California Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Oregon Texas Utah Washington

Other backyard birds in Wyoming

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

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.