Flock Bronzewing vs Rock Pigeon
Phaps histrionica compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Flock Bronzewing | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaps histrionica | Columba livia |
| Order | Columbiformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 39.3 cm (15.5 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 286.1666666666667 g (10.09 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 | 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
Flock Bronzewing
Loud, whistling wing-produced sound during flight; high-pitched winnowing call unique to flock bronzewing.
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
Flock Bronzewing
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Flock Bronzewing
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
Flock Bronzewing
Plain-breasted Ground Dove: tiny; pale brown; plain unscaled underparts; iridescent wing spots; short tail; neotropical 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
Flock Bronzewing
Medium pigeon, 28–30 cm, distinctively patterned in black, white, and chestnut on the head and neck with plain brown upperparts. Highly nomadic, forming large flocks on arid grasslands and Mitchell grass plains of inland Australia. Granivore of grass seeds. Population fluctuates with rainfall. 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.