Facts About Rock Dove

The terms pigeon and dove are used interchangeably, though the smaller species is more likely to be called dove. The rock dove is species commonly known as the rock pigeon or simply pigeon as well. A wild rock dove is pale grey in color and has two black bars on each wing. The chest is glossy yellowish, with greenish and reddish-purple iridescence along its neck and wing feathers, respectively. The iris is orange, red or golden with a paler inner ring, and the bare skin around the eye is bluish-grey. Also known as blue rock dove or feral pigeon, rock dove is the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons the world over. Read on to explore some more interesting facts and amazing information on the rock doves.

Facts About Rock Dove

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Aves

Order: Columbiformes

Family: Columbidae

Subfamily: Columbinae

Genus: Columba

Species: C. livia

Group Name: Flock

Length: 11.8-14.2 inches

Weight: 265-380 g

Lifespan: 15 years

Diet: Seeds, fruits, rarely invertebrates.

Habitat: Crevices along rocky seaside cliffs close to agriculture or open shrub vegetation and old farm buildings.

Age of Sexual Maturity: 140 days

Gestation Period: 18-19 days

Number of Offspring: 1-3 eggs

Interesting & Amazing Information On Rock Doves

There are over 289 species of pigeons and doves worldwide.
Rock doves are originally from Europe, North Africa and western Asia. They can now be found in cities across the world.
The wild and feral doves are estimated to have a population of 17 to 28 million in Europe itself.
Rock doves can find their way home even when released from a distant location blindfolded.
They navigate by sensing the earth’s magnetic fields and by using sound and smell. They also use cues based on the position of the sun.
These doves are commonly seen gathered in flocks in various urban parks, where people feed them.
They eat food left by people intentionally or unintentionally, like seeds, cake, peanuts, corn, cherries, peanuts, breadcrumbs, oats, currants and littered food.
Rock doves reuse their nests many times and do not carry away the feces of their nestlings, the way many other birds do. In time, the lightweight nest grows into a sturdy, pot-like mound that can contain unhatched eggs and mummies of dead nestlings.
Usually the male doves select the nest place and then coo to attract a mate. The site can be a nook, cranny, or ledge on either cliffs or manmade structures.
Rock dove can breed anytime round the year, but spring and summer are the peak times.
Both the parents take turns in incubating the eggs, which can last from 17 to 19 days.
The baby and young doves are called squabs.
Rock doves come in different shades and plumage patterns, including blue-bar, blue checker, dark checker, spread and red phenotypes.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Society'