Rock Pigeon

Columba liviaGmelin, JF, 1789

Least ConcernIntroduced

Order: COLUMBIFORMES
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columba

Conservation: Least Concern
Commonness: Very common
Best seen: Year-round

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The rock dove, also known as the common pigeon or "rock pigeon", is a member of the bird family Columbidae. In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although the rock dove is the wild form of the bird; the pigeons familiar to most people are the domesticated forms of the wild rock dove.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

01
Two distinct black wing bars
Sharp, black bars crossing the pale grey upperwings.
02
White lower back and rump
A clean white patch above the tail, most obvious in flight.
03
Broad black terminal tail band
A wide, dark band at the very tip of the grey tail.
04
Glossy iridescent neck patch
Shimmers with green and purple highlights on the sides and front of the neck.

Field specs

Length: 31–34 cm
Weight: 219–363 g
Wingspan: 62 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

Takeoffs are often signaled by a series of loud, sharp wing-claps, followed by a direct flight path with rapid, rhythmic wingbeats.

flight

During flight, birds frequently alternate between strong flapping and gliding with wings held in a pronounced V-shape, revealing conspicuous white underwing feathers.

plumage

Wild-type plumage features a white rump and two bold black wing bars, though feral birds vary widely from pure white to checkered, reddish-brown, or completely dark.

size_and_shape

Look for a small, rounded head and thick neck featuring a prominent, fleshy off-white swelling (the cere) at the base of the dark bill.

voice

Listen for a repetitive, throaty 'coo-roo-cthoo' call with a rolling or bubbling quality, often delivered during bowing and strutting courtship displays.

02 · Where