Western Bronze Ground Dove vs Rock Pigeon

Pampusana beccarii compared with Columba livia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Western Bronze Ground Dove Rock Pigeon
Scientific Name Pampusana beccarii Columba livia
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length 33.0 cm (13.0 in)
Wingspan 68.0 cm (26.8 in)
Weight 78.11666666666666 g (2.76 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 1 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Western Bronze Ground Dove
Rock Pigeon 33.0 cm
Wingspan
Western Bronze Ground Dove
Rock Pigeon 68.0 cm
Weight
Western Bronze Ground Dove 78.11666666666666 g
Rock Pigeon 300.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Western Bronze Ground Dove only

Rock Pigeon only

Rock Pigeon

Originally cliff-nesting in Mediterranean regions. Now the quintessential urban bird, inhabiting cities worldwide on every continent.

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Song & Call Comparison

Western Bronze Ground Dove

Rock Pigeon

Song

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Western Bronze Ground Dove

Rock Pigeon

Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Western Bronze Ground Dove

Least Concern

Rock Pigeon

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How to Tell Them Apart

Western Bronze Ground Dove

Plumage

Western Bronze Ground Dove: iridescent bronze-green wing spots; brown above; pale buff below; bare red facial skin; New Guinea

Rock Pigeon

Plumage

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.

Bill

Slender dark bill with a white fleshy cere at the base

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About These Birds

Western Bronze Ground Dove

Small ground dove, 20–24 cm, with dark brown upperparts, grey head, and pale buff-whitish underparts with bronze-green iridescence on the wings. Restricted to the forested islands of the Papuan region including the Aru Islands and western New Guinea coast. Frugivore. 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.

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Related Comparisons

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