Coroneted Fruit-dove vs Rock Pigeon

Ptilinopus coronulatus compared with Columba livia

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Coroneted Fruit-dove Rock Pigeon
Scientific Name Ptilinopus coronulatus Columba livia
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length 33.0 cm (13.0 in)
Wingspan 23.4 cm (9.2 in) 68.0 cm (26.8 in)
Weight 72.8 g (2.57 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

Size Comparison

Body Length
Coroneted Fruit-dove
Rock Pigeon 33.0 cm
Wingspan
Coroneted Fruit-dove 23.4 cm
Rock Pigeon 68.0 cm
Weight
Coroneted Fruit-dove 72.8 g
Rock Pigeon 300.0 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Coroneted Fruit-dove only

Rock Pigeon only

Rock Pigeon

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

Song & Call Comparison

Coroneted Fruit-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.

Geographic Range & Migration

Coroneted Fruit-dove

Rock Pigeon

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

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Coroneted Fruit-dove

Least Concern

Rock Pigeon

How to Tell Them Apart

Coroneted Fruit-dove

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

About These Birds

Coroneted Fruit-dove

Coroneted Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus coronulatus), 20 cm. Grey head with an orange crown spot; green back and wings; yellow-orange belly. Found in lowland and foothill forest of New Guinea. Frugivore. Least Concern; common across its New Guinea range in suitable forest habitats.

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.

Related Comparisons

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family