Diet
What do band-tailed pigeons eat?
Acorns, berries and grain, often in flocks.
Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)Band-tailed PigeonPatagioenas fasciata
Spring and summer diet
- Elderberry, madrone and cherry fruit
Fall and winter diet
- Acorns and waste grain
Best feeder foods
- Cracked corn
- Black-oil sunflower (on platforms)
Flocks descend on platform feeders and birdbaths in oak and conifer country of the West.
Where band-tailed pigeons need winter food
Regions where band-tailed pigeons are present in the cold months:
Frequently asked
What do band-tailed pigeons eat?
Acorns, berries and grain, often in flocks.
What is the best food to feed band-tailed pigeons?
Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower (on platforms).
What do band-tailed pigeons eat in winter?
Acorns and waste grain.
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
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.