Back, rump and wings brownish gray, which in adult males with metallic blue shoulders.

Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general.

The nest, somewhat more elaborate than those of other pigeons, is built on the upper branches of a tree, with pieces of sticks and twigs, forming the classic platform, which is usually lined with mosses and lichens briefly.

Frugivore which eat drupes or fruits of canary bay (Laurus azorica), Madeira mahogany (Persea indica), (Ocotea foetens) and fayanuts of Myrica faya but can consume alternately diverse continental cultives, sweet acorns, hazelnuts, other nuts, berries...

Columba bollii occurs on Tenerife particularly at Anaga and Teno, La Palma in a restricted area of the north-east), La Gomera in Garajonay National Park with some birds outside the park, and El Hierro where it occurs in Golfo and Sabinosa in the Canary Islands, Spain.

It may formerly have occurred on Gran Canaria, as bones similar to those of a laurel pigeon have been found and there is a possible sight record from the late 19th century.

In 2007, the species was estimated by SEO Sociedad Española de Ornitología, BirdLife in Spain to number 5,000-20,000 individuals.

It makes some altitudinal movements to take advantage of ripe cereals and fruit at lower elevations in late summer.

As it is a tree-nesting species, predation by introduced mammals including rats is of less significance than for C. junoniae but it remains a potential threat, the impact of which has not been fully assessed1.

Grazing pressure from sheep is leading to habitat degradation on La Gomera and at El Hierro.

The natural habitat is tall laurisilva forest or dense tree heaths which are cloud-covered for much of the year.

Perhaps the main limiting factor on the rate at which the pigeon increases its numbers is eggs and young being taken by introduced black rats.

The two Macaronesian endemic pigeons, Bolle's and Trocaz, are thought to be derived from isolated island populations of C. palumbus.

[7] The most recent wood pigeon arrival on Macaronesia was that which gave rise to the subspecies C. palumbus maderensis.