The rock dove, also known as the rock pigeon or common pigeon (Columba livia), is part of the dove and pigeon family, Columbidae. People often just call it a “pigeon,” even though this name refers to the wild type of the bird. The pigeons most people recognize are the domesticated versions of the wild rock dove.
Wild rock doves are mostly pale grey with two black bars on each wing, and there are not many differences between males and females. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) has about 1,000 different breeds and comes from this species. Many escaped domestic pigeons have become feral pigeons worldwide. Unlike the wild rock dove, these varieties can come in many colors and patterns, including red, brown, checkered, or piebald.
Rock doves live in open and semi-open areas where they can forage on the ground. In the wild, they roost and breed on cliffs and rock ledges. They originally came from Southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.
Years of domestication have changed the rock dove significantly. Domestic and feral pigeons, which did not develop naturally, show many differences in their feather colors. Most descriptions relate to the wild type, although the wild version may be rare or extinct, and research often doesn’t distinguish between wild and domesticated birds.
This bird has a dark bluish-grey head, neck, and chest with shiny yellowish, greenish, and reddish-purple colors on its neck and wing feathers. A key feature is its white lower back, and the two black bars on its pale grey wings also help identify it. The tail has a black band at the end, and the outer edges of the tail feathers are white. It is fast and strong in flight, often seen flying low over water, with its light grey back visible from above. The iris can be orange, red, or gold with a lighter inner ring, while a few pigeons may have white-grey eyes. Its eyelids are orange and surrounded by a bluish-grey to white eye ring. The bill is grey-black with a noticeable white cere, and its feet are red to pink.
Female rock doves look almost the same as males, but the iridescence on her neck is less bright and mainly on the back and sides. The shine on her breast is often faint. Young birds don’t show much shine and appear duller. Like the males, females generally have orange eyes, although a few may have white-grey eyes. Their eyelids are orange, surrounded by a grey-white eye ring, and their feet are red to pink.
