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  • Rock dove

Rock dove/Feral pigeon

Rock dove (feral pigeon)
Rock dove (feral pigeon)
  • Scientific name: Columba livia
  • Bird family: Pigeons and doves
  • UK conservation status: Green
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Rock dove song audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Stuart Fisher, xeno-canto

Key information

The rock dove is the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons the world over, domesticated originally to provide food. Feral pigeons come in all shades, some bluer, others blacker - some are pale grey with darker chequered markings, others an unusual shade of dull brick-red or cinnamon-brown. Others can be or less white while others look exactly like wild rock doves. In urban areas where the numbers are allowed to increase they are sometimes considered a nuisance.

What they eat:

Seeds and cereals.

Measurements:

Length:
31-34cm
Wingspan:
63-70cm
Weight:
230-370g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
550,000 pairs

Identifying features:

Rock dove (feral pigeon)

Rock dove
Feather colour: Black Blue Brown Cream/buff Grey Pink/purple White
Leg colour: Brown Pink Red
Beak: Black Medium length Thin
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal Urban and suburban

Similar birds:

Stock dove
Stock dove
Woodpigeon illustration
Woodpigeon

Where and when to see them

The wild rock dove is now found only along the north and west coasts of Scotland, on islands and on Northern Ireland coasts. Feral, or domestic, pigeons breed almost everywhere apart from upland areas, with the highest density in the most populated urban and suburban areas.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Rock dove distribution map

Rock doves can be seen all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
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