Rock Pigeon vs Timor Green-pigeon

Columba livia compared with Treron psittaceus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Rock Pigeon Timor Green-pigeon
Scientific Name Columba livia Treron psittaceus
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Endangered
Length 33.0 cm (13.0 in)
Wingspan 68.0 cm (26.8 in) 33.2 cm (13.1 in)
Weight 300.0 g (10.58 oz) 166.0 g (5.86 oz)
Diet Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … --
Clutch Size 2 --
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Rock Pigeon 33.0 cm
Timor Green-pigeon
Wingspan
Rock Pigeon 68.0 cm
Timor Green-pigeon 33.2 cm
Weight
Rock Pigeon 300.0 g
Timor Green-pigeon 166.0 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Rock Pigeon only

Timor Green-pigeon only

Rock Pigeon

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

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.

Timor Green-pigeon

Geographic Range & Migration

Rock Pigeon

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

Timor Green-pigeon

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Rock Pigeon

Endangered

Timor Green-pigeon

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

Timor Green-pigeon

Plumage

Timor Green-pigeon: bright green; yellow-green below; bare red orbital skin; Timor island endemic green-pigeon; endangered 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.

Timor Green-pigeon

Small-medium green-pigeon, 24–27 cm, with bright parrot-like green plumage and a yellow-tipped bill; male has an orange wash on the upper breast. Endemic to Timor and Wetar in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Inhabits forest and forest edge. Frugivore of figs and berries. Least Concern.

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