Grey-headed Dove vs Rock Pigeon
Leptotila plumbeiceps compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Dove | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Leptotila plumbeiceps | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 28.2 cm (11.1 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 172.0 g (6.07 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
Grey-headed Dove
Soft, gentle cooing with grey-headed quality; warm notes typical of South American dry tropical forest.
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
Grey-headed Dove
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Dove
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey-headed Dove
Grey-headed Dove: gray head; brown above; pale pinkish-buff below; long graduated tail; bare red facial skin; Central American
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
Grey-headed Dove
Medium dove, 25–28 cm, brown above with a grey head and pale grey breast graduating to white on the belly. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill forest from Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Venezuela. Terrestrial frugivore and granivore. 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.