The yellow-eyed pigeon or pale-backed pigeon (Columba eversmanni) is a member of the family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). It breeds in southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, north-east Iran and extreme north-west China. It winters in north-east Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Rajasthan (including Tal Chhapar Sanctuary and Jorbeer, Bikaner). The bird has declined in numbers over the years, chiefly because of hunting, and it is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The bird was first described by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1856. The binomial commemorates the German biologist and explorer Eduard Friedrich Eversmann who did much research into the flora and fauna of the southeast steppes of Russia.
The yellow-eyed pigeon is a medium-sized pigeon growing to a length of about 30 cm (12 in) and a weight of 183 to 234 g (6.5 to 8.3 oz). It is mostly grey, with a slightly brownish tinge to the upper parts and a pinkish-purple sheen on the crown, throat and breast. The wing has a black bar and the tail has a diffuse dark band. The lower back, rump and underside of the wings are white or pale grey. There is bare area of yellowish skin around the eye, the iris is yellow, the beak is yellowish and the feet pink. This pigeon could be confused with the rock dove (C. livia), but that species has more prominent wing bars and tail band. The hill pigeon (C. rupestris) is also similar, but it has a white subterminal band on the tail above the black terminal band. The yellow-eyed pigeon is generally a silent bird, but during the breeding season it sometimes emits a faint "oo-oo-oo".
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