Yellow-eyed Pigeon

The yellow-eyed pigeon, or pale-backed pigeon, is a medium-sized pigeon about 30 cm long, weighing 183–234 g. It is mostly grey with a slightly brownish tinge to the upperparts and a pinkish-purple sheen on the crown, throat and breast, a black bar on the wing, a diffuse dark tail band, and a white or pale grey lower back, rump and underwing (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, north-east Iran and extreme north-west China, on steppes and other lowland habitats including semi-arid and arid country. It migrates south in autumn to winter in Pakistan and north-western India, including Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Rajasthan such as Tal Chhapar Sanctuary and Jorbeer in Bikaner. It is generally silent but sometimes gives a faint oo-oo-oo in the breeding season, and lays two white eggs on a platform of sticks. SoIB 2023 rates it a High conservation priority, with a Restricted range of about 12,700 km² (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).