Ochre-bellied Dove vs Rock Pigeon
Leptotila ochraceiventris compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ochre-bellied Dove | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Leptotila ochraceiventris | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 26.5 cm (10.4 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 146.0 g (5.15 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
Ochre-bellied Dove
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
Ochre-bellied Dove
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Ochre-bellied Dove
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Ochre-bellied Dove
Ochre-bellied Dove: ochre-yellow belly; brown above; bare red orbital skin; long tail; Ecuadorian and Peruvian endemic dove
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
Ochre-bellied Dove
Medium dove, 25–28 cm, brown above with a grey head and distinctive ochre-orange wash on the belly and lower breast. Confined to humid montane forest on the Pacific slope of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Terrestrial forager of seeds and fruits. Endangered due to extensive deforestation in its small range.
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.