Silvery Pigeon
The Silvery Pigeon (Columba argentina), also known as Silvery Wood-pigeon or Grey Wood-pigeon is a species of pigeon found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It was thought to be extinct but wild populations were rediscovered in 2008 near Masokut Island might represent this species.
The Silvery Pigeon is not distinguishable from the Pied Imperial Pigeon at a distance, although this is not necessarily true vice-versa; as the Pied Imperial Pigeon can vary between a pale grey, pure white and even yellowish colouration, it is often possible to tell that a bird is not a C. argentina.
Most distinguishing characteristics are located on the head, which is shaped differently, with a sloping forehead (rounded in the PIP), conspicuous dark red or purplish eye-wattles (none in the PIP) and eyes, and a bill that is darker at the base (lighter at the base in the PIP), being dusky purple with a pale apple-green tip. The feet are bluish-grey, mottled with varying amounts of red.
The birds are slightly smaller than the PIP, with a total length of around 36 cm, females being marginally larger and darker than males on average, and juvenile birds are apparently more sandy-coloured on the upperpart feather fringes and breast. While the weight is not recorded, comparison with related species gives an estimate of 350 grams on average.
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