The major cause of its population decline is habitat loss from forest clearance, but hunting and nest predation by introduced species and rats were also contributory factors.

Protection of the laurel forests and an effective ban on hunting could enable numbers to increase, although this species is still declining and endangered.

A rare resident breeder in the mountain laurisilva and Canary pine forests, the laurel pigeon builds a stick nest in a tree.

The displays are similar to those of the common wood pigeon; the male climbs quickly in flight, gives a loud wing-clap, and then glides down with his wings and tail spread.

The nest is a typical pigeon construction, a flimsy structure of twigs and grasses usually placed high in the floor of canyon walls with much vegetation.

The abundance of predators, estimated by bait consumption, showed a similar seasonal pattern, while fruit availability decreased over time from the first to third period.

However, when the fruit crop of Til and Azores Laurel is poor, large numbers of pigeons may leave the forest to feed on cabbage, flowering cherries and vine shoots.

The species is common on La Gomera, where it is found primarily in the north, and also occurs patchily on the northern slopes of Tenerife.

It mainly occurs on the northern slopes of the mountains, but smaller numbers are found in the south where suitable patches of laurel forest remain.

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

The Trocaz pigeon prefers primary forests, but secondary growth is used for feeding, and agricultural land is also visited, especially at times of fruit shortage.

The losses on the islands were largely due to deforestation for wood and to create agricultural and grazing land.

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

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences suggest that the ancestor of Bolle's pigeon may have arrived in the Canaries about 5 mya, but an older lineage that gave rise to another Canarian endemic, the laurel pigeon, C. junoniae, may date from 20 mya.

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