Rock Pigeon vs African Collared-dove
Columba livia compared with Streptopelia roseogrisea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Pigeon | African Collared-dove |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba livia | Streptopelia roseogrisea |
| 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) | 31.8 cm (12.5 in) |
| Weight | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) | 152.33333333333334 g (5.37 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| 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.
African Collared-dove
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes through dense forest in Timor region. 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.
African Collared-dove
Conservation Status
Rock Pigeon
African 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
African Collared-dove
Ruddy Cuckoo-dove: rich rufous-brown above; plain buff below; long red-brown tail; red orbital ring; Southeast Asian 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.
African Collared-dove
Small dove, 26–29 cm, pale pinkish-grey with a black hindneck collar and white tail corners. Native to arid zones of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia and south to Tanzania. The ancestor of the domesticated Barbary Dove (ring-necked dove). Granivore of grass seeds and small grains in dry savanna, farmland, and desert edge. Least Concern.