The familiar city pigeon is the domestic form of the wild rock dove, native to southern Europe, North Africa and western Asia. Escaped domestic birds are the origin of feral pigeons worldwide.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
The wild rock dove isn’t domesticated, but domestic pigeons, with about 1,000 breeds, descend from it.
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Do people eat it?In places
Hunted and eaten as a game bird in many countries.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatTowns, Farmland, Mountains
ColoursGrey, White
SizeSmall
WeightAbout 360 g (average)
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives inflocks
Lives for3–6 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Wild rock doves: southern Europe, North Africa and western Asia. Domestic and feral pigeons: worldwide, up to 120 million birds.
Did you know
Trained pigeons have passed a modified mirror test; untrained ones never have.
Pigeon chicks are called “squabs”.
Often confused with
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