Rock Pigeon vs White-winged Collared-dove
Columba livia compared with Streptopelia reichenowi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Pigeon | White-winged Collared-dove |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba livia | Streptopelia reichenowi |
| 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) | 28.0 cm (11.0 in) |
| Weight | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) | 117.33333333333333 g (4.14 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
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.
White-winged Collared-dove
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes through dense Tanimbar island forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
White-winged Collared-dove
Conservation Status
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Collared-dove
How to Tell Them Apart
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
White-winged Collared-dove
Short-tailed Cuckoo-dove: rufous-brown above; barred below; shorter tail; red orbital ring; Australian and New Guinea species
About These Birds
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.
White-winged Collared-dove
Medium dove, 28–31 cm, pale grey with extensive white in the wings (visible in flight), a black hindneck collar, and pink breast. Restricted to the arid Horn of Africa, primarily Ethiopia and Somalia, in dry thorn-scrub and semi-desert. Granivore of grass seeds. Little-known and rarely photographed. Least Concern.