Plumbeous Pigeon vs Rock Pigeon
Patagioenas plumbea compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Plumbeous Pigeon | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Patagioenas plumbea | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 35.6 cm (14.0 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 184.66666666666666 g (6.51 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
Plumbeous Pigeon
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes typical of Philippine lowland forest edge 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
Plumbeous Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Plumbeous Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Plumbeous Pigeon
Dusky Turtle-dove: dark brown; pale supercilium; iridescent neck; pale below; dark wing panels; African turtle-dove species
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
Plumbeous Pigeon
Medium pigeon, 29–32 cm, uniformly dull slate-grey with a slightly paler head, giving a plain, unpatterned appearance. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill tropical forests of South America from Colombia and Venezuela to Bolivia, Brazil, and Trinidad. Frugivore, feeding quietly in the forest canopy. 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.