Ducula badia
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The mountain imperial pigeon (Ducula badia), also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in southeastern Asia. The Malabar imperial pigeon (D. cuprea) of India's Western Ghats was formerly considered conspecific, but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021.
The mountain imperial pigeon is the largest pigeon species in its range at 43–51 cm (17–20 in) long. It has a fairly long tail, broad, rounded wings and slow wing-beats. The head, neck and underparts are vinous-grey with a contrasting white throat and brownish-maroon upperparts and wings, though the upper part of the body can be duller. The underwing is slate-grey and the tail is blackish with a grey horizontal line. The combination the maroon back with the large size give this species a distinctive appearance. Its call consists of a deep, resonant boom that is only detectable at close range.
Though usually solitary, this species has been seen in groups numbering up to 20, especially when going to roost or flying up or down in mountains. They can be difficult to see, since... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 6 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 13 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 14 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Imperial-Pigeon sighting in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, based on 423 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 360 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Imperial-Pigeon in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to November, the lowest months. Those are among Kaeng Krachan National Park's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 260 mm in September.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mountain Imperial-Pigeon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Mountain Imperial-Pigeon sightings, Kaeng Krachan National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 50%), Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 40%) and Periyar National Park (India, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Mountain Imperial-Pigeon that you can see in Kaeng Krachan National Park (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Asian Emerald Dove (about 50%), Pearl-necked Dove (about 50%) and Thick-billed Green-Pigeon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mountain Imperial-Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Kaeng Krachan National Park (423 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
