Rock Pigeon
Columba livia

Description:  The Rock Pigeon, also called the Rock Dove, is familiar to most people.  It is the common pigeon that we see in cities and parks.  It is usually blue or grey in color with black bands on the wings and tail and a white rump.  Its head and tail are darker than the rest of its body.  There are many color varieties due to breeding of these birds in captivity.  Males and females are similar in appearance.

Size:  Rock Pigeons measure 11-14 inches long with a wingspan of 20-26 inches.  They each weigh 9-14 ounces.

Individual animal information:  The Rock Pigeon at Cosley Zoo was received from Animal Control in 1992.  Its gender and age are unknown.

Adaptations: 

• Birds have many adaptations that make them well adapted for flight, including feathers and hollow bones that decrease their weight.

• Doves and pigeons have amazing navigation abilities.  There are magnetic tissues in their heads that help them to detect the earth’s magnetic field and determine direction.  The birds known as Homing Pigeons are domesticated Rock Pigeons.

Diet:  In the wild, the primary diet of Rock Pigeons is seeds.  However, they are so habituated to humans that they will eat almost any crumbs or leftovers that they can find.  At Cosley Zoo, the pigeon is fed mealworms, spinach, tomatoes, fruit, and various types of birdseed.

Reproduction:  A Rock Pigeon builds its nest on the face of a cliff or the side of a building.  Rock Pigeons mate for life and can breed throughout the year.  The female usually lays two white eggs per clutch (group of eggs).  The eggs hatch after about 18 days of incubation.  The young pigeons fledge (leave the nest) when they are 4 to 6 weeks old.

Shelter and space needs:  Rock Pigeons have become well adapted to living around humans and seem to thrive off of the food and shelter that are provided for them by people.

Life expectancy:  A wild Rock Pigeon has an average life expectancy of 3-5 years.  In captivity, Rock Pigeons can generally live up to 15 years, although certain individuals have been said to have lived much longer, up to 30 years.

Relationship with man:  Rock Pigeons have been domesticated for over 5000 years.   They have been kept as pets and served as a food source for people.  Because of their large population and ease of domestication, they are often used for laboratory research.  They are also hunted for sport and used to carry messages (this is how they became known as homing pigeons).

Fun Facts

• A Rock Pigeon often nests in the same location from season to season.  Each season it makes a new nest on top of its old nest.  The droppings from the birds help to cement the materials together.  This causes the nest to become a sturdy structure that gets larger each year.
• After their young hatch, both male and female pigeons produce a substance called “crop milk” or “pigeon milk”.  This substance is produced in the bird’s crop, which is part of its digestive system.  This highly nutritious liquid is fed to the hatchlings for one week, after which point the adults start to introduce the hatchlings to solid food.
• A young pigeon that has not yet fledged is called a squab.