Its head and breast are silver-grey, and these feathers can be raised when the bird is excited, giving it a ruffled look.

It has a distinctive bright crimson patch of orbital skin extending from forehead to crown.

Numbers have greatly increased since the cessation of human exploitation for food, a practice that died out around the late 1970s.

Breeding may take place at any time of the year, but is concentrated in October to April.

Habitat conservation is important to the continued survival of the species, because blue pigeons have muscular gizzards, which break down seeds to aid digestion.