Rock Pigeon vs Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

Columba livia compared with Treron affinis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Rock Pigeon Grey-fronted Green-pigeon
Scientific Name Columba livia Treron affinis
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) 28.8 cm (11.3 in)
Weight 300.0 g (10.58 oz) 234.0 g (8.25 oz)
Diet Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … --
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Rock Pigeon 33.0 cm
Grey-fronted Green-pigeon
Wingspan
Rock Pigeon 68.0 cm
Grey-fronted Green-pigeon 28.8 cm
Weight
Rock Pigeon 300.0 g
Grey-fronted Green-pigeon 234.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Rock Pigeon only

None

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon only

Rock Pigeon

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

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Song & Call Comparison

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.

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

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Geographic Range & Migration

Rock Pigeon

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

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Rock Pigeon

Least Concern

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

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How to Tell Them Apart

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

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

Plumage

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon: gray forehead; bright green body; yellow-green below; bare red orbital skin; South Asian green-pigeon

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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.

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

Medium green-pigeon, 26–29 cm; male has a grey head and a green back with yellow-washed underparts; female entirely green. Found in forest and woodland edges across the Western Ghats and hills of southern India. Frugivore of figs and berries in the forest canopy. Least Concern.

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Related Comparisons

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