Partridge Pigeon (western)  |  

The Partridge Pigeon (western) is 24 to 29 cm long and weighs 160 to 245 g. It is mostly olive-brown or grey-brown, with distinctive facial markings, a black bill, white, yellow, grey or brown irides, a patch of metallic green (male) or purple (female) on the upper side of each wing, white flanks (which appear as a white crescent around the head of each folded wing), a white to buff belly, and pink, brown or grey legs and feet. The facial markings consist of a large area of bright yellow skin around each eye, bordered above and below with narrow black lines, and with broader white lines that, below the eye, extend from the base of the bill to the ear coverts and down the neck; and a white chin and throat, extending to the ear coverts and bordered below with a narrow band of grey, brown or black. Juvenile and immature birds can be separated from the adults on the basis of their plumage, which is extensively marked. The upperparts of juvenile and immature birds have greyish-brown and buff speckles, flecks, bars and fringes. Furthermore, the patch of metallic green or purple on each wing is absent or reduced in size. The Partridge Pigeon (western) occurs in pairs and in small flocks of up to 20 birds.