Scientific Name: Columba livia
Habitat: Rock Pigeons are very common and can be found all across North and South America. They live in parks, farmland, cliffs, and cities. Rock Pigeons are often seen outside restaurants eating food that has been dropped.
Sound: The Rock Pigeon’s song is a series of deep cooings that sounds a lot like purring.
Diet: Rock Pigeons eat mainly seeds, but also eat fruit and bugs. Rock Pigeons also eat almost any kind of human food they can find. They eat popcorn, bits of bread, french fries, and a variety of other human food.
Behavior: Rock Pigeons are ground feeders. They peck at food on the ground, and when Rock pigeons walk their heads bob back and forth.
Nesting: Rock Pigeons place their nests on bridges, cliffs, skyscrapers, and window ledges. The nest is made of straw, sticks, and stems. The male brings supplies to the female, who builds the nest. Rock Pigeons use the same nest every year, so even though the nest starts out flimsy, after a while it gets to be bulky and sturdy. Rock Pigeons lay 1 to 3 eggs, and incubate them for 18 days. The eggs are white. When the young are born they are helpless and have down.
Physical features/field marks: The Rock Pigeon is about 12 inches long, and has a wingspan of about 9 to 14 inches. The Rock Pigeon’s marking vary widely, but almost all Rock Pigeons have a gray head, a shiny green and purple neck, red eyes, and red feet. Most Rock Pigeons have light gray backs and upper wings. They have anywhere from two dark gray stripes to so many dark gray stripes that there is almost no light gray at all. Rock Pigeons have dark gray lower wings and tails, and light gray breasts and undersides. But some Rock Pigeons are brown or white.
Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon eating