Barred Dove vs Rock Pigeon
Geopelia maugeus compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Barred Dove | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Geopelia maugeus | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 20.1 cm (7.9 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 53.25 g (1.88 oz) | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Rock Pigeon
Originally cliff-nesting in Mediterranean regions. Now the quintessential urban bird, inhabiting cities worldwide on every continent.
Song & Call Comparison
Barred Dove
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes with mild quality through Cuban lowland forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Rock Pigeon
Soft, rhythmic cooing 'roo-c'too-coo' repeated multiple times, with emphasis on second syllable. Male courtship coo is deeper and more persistent. Wing-clapping on takeoff is loud.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barred Dove
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Barred Dove
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Barred Dove
Black-winged Ground Dove: black wings contrasting gray body; pale below; high Andean dove; bold black-and-gray plumage contrast
Rock Pigeon
Wild-type has a blue-grey body with iridescent green and purple neck feathers, two black wing bars, and a white rump. Feral populations show enormous color variation.
Slender dark bill with a white fleshy cere at the base
About These Birds
Barred Dove
Small dove, 20–23 cm, with fine brown-grey barring on the upperparts and a pinkish-buff breast. Confined to the Lesser Sunda Islands from Lombok east to Timor and Kisar. Inhabits open woodland, savanna, and farmland. Granivore of tiny seeds. Least Concern.
Rock Pigeon
The rock pigeon is the ancestor of all domestic pigeon breeds and one of the most abundant birds in cities worldwide. Pigeons have served humans as messengers, food, and subjects for scientific research — their homing ability and vision have been studied extensively. Darwin's study of pigeon breeding contributed to his theory of evolution.