It is illegal to hunt, capture or possess spotted imperial pigeons under Philippine Law RA 9147.

[5] The specific name carola is derived from the name of a daughter of Bonaparte, Charlotte Honorine Joséphine Pauline Contessa Primoli di Foglia.

[6] Overall length is 32–38 cm (13–15 in) In the D. c. carola male, the head and neck are ashy grey.

The back and wings are grey, with black spots, some parts having a green gloss.

It has been recorded on Luzon, Mindoro, Sibuyan, Negros, Siquijor and Mindanao, but may be locally extinct on some islands.

[2] Flocks react to the availability of food by moving great distances daily and seasonally.

Richard Ruiz, who has been monitoring the annual return of the pigeons to Pasuquin shoreline since 2011, says the seasonal movement may be a way for the birds to "socialize".

Other theories suggest the pigeons fly down to the coast to ingest calcium and other nutrients that are needed to strengthen their egg shells.

Spotted imperial pigeons occur in the protected Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and Mt.