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11

Rock Dove (Columba livia) Alternate name(s): "Rock Pigeon", "Pigeon*" Size: 29-37 cm; wing span 62-72 cm Weight: 240-380 g

Oman: Family Group 11 Family Group 11 Table Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Rock Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Laughing Dove Namaqua Dove Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Rock Doves are big, heavy doves with a massive wing beat. The separation of the sexes is usually easiest by studying their behaviour, rather than by appearance/morphology. They have a dark-grey throat and head with narrow light-grey eye-rings. Ontop of their bill they have a characteristic white "operculum" (a membraneous, horny or cartilaginous flap). The front and the nape of the neck are iridescent green, while the sides of the neck and the breast are iridescent purple. The rest of the front (belly, vent, undertail coverts) is light-grey. The back and the uppertail coverts are light-grey, with a white patch on the rump. The most easily identifiable features are two bold dark-grey wing bars, which are not found in other, similar species. The underwings are off-white, with a dark-grey fringe all the way around each wing. The irises of both sexes are orange. The bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are pink.

Taxonomy, classification See Rock Dove at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Rock Dove is available HERE . Originally Rock Doves were a sedentary Eurasian species. However, these days even wild populations of Rock Doves within their native range are mostly derived from, or have interbred with, re-released domestic feral pigeons, even if they have reverted to their original outward appearance. The native range of the 12 races of wild Rock Doves extends from the Atlantic islands (Canaries, Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde) eastward, across north-western Africa (the Atlas mountain range and surroundings), parts of the Sahara desert, the Mediterranean countries South of the Pyrenees, the Alps and through the Balkans, into Asia Minor and onward all the way to far western China and as far South as the entire Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. They are also found in parts of the Middle East and on the Arabian peninsula. Everywhere else they are introduced. In Arabia Rock Doves, race "palaestinae", populate basically the East coast of the Red Sea and its hinterland, down to the tip of Yemen, the South-east coast in the border region of Yemen and Oman and the northern coastline and hinterland of Oman, continuing all the way around the Persian Gulf in a broad, horseshoe-shaped distribution. In natural habitats Rock Doves originally have a preference for (near-)coastal cliffs and inland escarpments. However, this species is very tolerant to the presence of humans and is now mostly found in tree hollows in or near urban areas, in particular parks, and on ledges of buildings.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "palaestinae" Rock Doves, race "palaestinae", were occasionally seen by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat in the time frame August 2009-May 2010. They were also seen regularly in other urban areas of Muscat, e.g. along Sultan Qaboos highway near Muscat in March 2010. Race "livia" Rock Doves, race "livia", were seen by us in Europe.

Photos

Race "palaestinae"

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view of a Rock Dove cock; note the typical dual dark-grey wing bar

FEMALE

Lateral view of a Rock Dove hen

Race "livia"

Photos of Rock Doves, nominate race "livia", were taken by us in Europe.

Hybrids (feral pigeons)

MALE

Cock trying to impress a hen
[Batinah region, May 2010]

FEMALE

Here she is, not visibly taken in
[Batinah region, May 2010]

PAIR

Rock Dove hybrids (feral pigeons) - an almost all-white cock trying to impress a hen
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a hybrid Rock Dove ("Feral Pigeon")
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Here the same bird as above when landing
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

More photos of feral pigeons were taken by us in Europe.

"Release Dove"

"Release Doves" are a special, all-white breed of the Rock Dove, used for release on ceremonial occasions.

Near-lateral view of a Release Dove; note the banding (photo courtesy of P. Brown)

Lateral view of a Release Dove; note the banding (photo courtesy of P. Brown)

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Jun

Eggs: 2

Incubation period: 17 - 19 days

Fledging age: 30 days

Given the right conditions, Rock Doves can breed at any time of year. They can have up to six clutches per year.

Nest

Type: Rudimentary basket

Material: Twigs

Height above ground: 2 - 15 m

Rock Doves can nest on (rock) ledges or in tree hollows. Their nests are the basic collection of twigs typical of doves and pigeons.

Rock Dove on its nest in a niche of an ancient building (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Near Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, June 2010]

Rock Dove at the entrance of its nesting hollow

Rock Dove at the entrance of its nesting hollow

Eggs

Size: 38 x 30 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Food, Diet

As all pigeons and doves, Rock Doves are strictly vegetarian. When not scavenging from humans, they feed exclusively on seeds.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Doves and pigeons do not, like other birds, open their bills when calling, but they rather "hum" through their noses, with the bill closed.

rockdov_20160701.mp3

Male wooing female

© MD

More Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 24 May 2023, 3:05 +00:00