Timor Cuckoo-Dove vs Rock Pigeon
Macropygia magna compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Timor Cuckoo-Dove | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Macropygia magna | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 37.4 cm (14.7 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 237.0 g (8.36 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
Timor Cuckoo-Dove
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes typical of South Asian dry open habitat. 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
Timor Cuckoo-Dove
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Timor Cuckoo-Dove
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Timor Cuckoo-Dove
Black-billed Wood-dove: brown above; black bill; pale pink breast; iridescent neck; small; West African forest floor wood-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
Timor Cuckoo-Dove
Large slender cuckoo-dove, 40–43 cm, rufous-brown with heavy black barring on the upperparts and a long tail. Found in forests and forest edge on Timor, Wetar, and Babar in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Frugivore of forest fruits. 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.