RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our history
    • Our mission
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Latest press releases
    • Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Take a relaxing dip in Sandwell Valley with stress-busting forest bathing.

    • Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Coalition calls to introduce urgent safeguards for mountain hare populations.

    • Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Witness some fantastic wildlife spectacles, at their sunset safari.

  • Our work
      Conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • Our positions and casework
    • Our positions
    • Casework
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Latest news
    • 5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      Bird courtship rituals can vary from the spectacular to the bizarre

    • 5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      Wetland reserves are doing great things for people and wildlife

    • 11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      We’ve pulled together some of the best facts about Big Garden Birdwatch!

  • Birds & wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • UK conservation status explained
    • Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Brent Goose

      Brent Goose

      A small, dark goose - the same size as a mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back.

    • Nightjar

      Nightjar

      A nocturnal bird that can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn.

    • Ring Ouzel

      Ring Ouzel

      male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.

  • Get involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Give nature a home in your garden
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Community & advice
    • RSPB local groups
    • Green living
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Campaigning
    • Climate change effects on nature and wildlife
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Become a Campaign Champion
    • Defend nature
    • #LeafNatureBetter
    • The 25 Year Environment Plan
    • Top activities to do
    • Food, farming and nature

      Food, farming and nature

      Have your say on the future of our countryside

    • Volunteer

      Volunteer

      Explore these pages to find an opportunity that suits you.

    • Waterwise gardening

      Waterwise gardening

      Use less water in the garden by installing a waterbutt.

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events, dates & inspiration
    • Events
    • Dates with nature
    • Places to visit blog
    • Find a reserve
      Top reserve this month
    • Minsmere

      Minsmere

      There's so much to see and hear at Minsmere, from rare birds and otters to stunning woodland and coastal scenery.

    • Coombes Valley

      Coombes Valley

      This is a delightful oak woodland to walk through – especially in spring and early summer.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & Learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • Free school outreach visits
    • School trip ideas
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • For kids
    • Facts about nature
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Fabulous fungi

      Fabulous fungi

      Go on the hunt for fabulous fungi! How many different shapes, colours and sizes can you spot?

    • Wild Weather

      Wild Weather

      Rain or shine - can you help us measure the weather?

    • Nature WOW!

      Nature WOW!

      Take a Wild Challenge and look out for something with the WOW factor!

  • Join & Donate
      Become a member
    • Individual membership
    • Joint membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership for nature lovers
    • RSPB Life Fellow Membership
    • Renew your membership
    • Corporate supporters
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Donate
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • Memorial donations
    • Plant a memorial tree
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Other people's gifts
    • Legacy donation FAQs
    • Legacy administration
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Save your stamps
    • Sign up to Gift Aid Form
  • Login to your account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Birds & wildlife
  • Wildlife guides
  • Bird A-Z
  • Stock dove

Stock dove

Stock dove
Stock dove
Stock dove (in flight)
Stock dove (in flight)
  • Scientific name: Columba oenas
  • Bird family: Pigeons and doves
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Stuart Fisher, xeno-canto

Key information

Stock doves are similar in plumage and size to rock doves/feral pigeons. They are largely blue-grey with an attractive iridescent bottle green band on the back of the neck and a pink chest. In flight, they show black edges to the wing and two partial black bands near their back. Unlike rock doves/feral pigeons they do not have pale rumps.

They are widely distributed in the UK, except for parts of northern Scotland and Ireland, with particularly high densities in the English Midlands and South West. Over half their European population is found in the UK.

What they eat:

Seeds.

Measurements:

Length:
30-33cm
Wingspan:
60-66cm
Weight:
290-330g

Population:

UK breeding:
260,000 territories

Identifying features:

Stock dove

Stock dove
Feather colour: Black Blue Green Grey Pink/purple White
Leg colour: Brown Pink Red
Beak: Brown Orange Medium length Thin
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Urban and suburban

Similar birds:

  • Rock dove
    Rock dove
  • Woodpigeon
    Woodpigeon

Where and when to see them

Stock doves live across the UK. In the breeding season, look in parkland, along woodland edges and near quarries and cliffs. In winter, look for small flocks feeding on farmland stubbles.

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

You can see stock doves all year round

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

Share this

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google+

You might also be interested in

RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Become a Habitats Pioneer

Become a recovering lost habitats pioneer in order to help find new methods to bring life back to the UK’s farmland.

Big Garden Birdwatch

We've been crunching the numbers and the results are in!
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Partnering with

Bird life logo

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie and privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site

We use cookies on our website to help give you the best online experience. Tell me more

Ok, got it