Rock Pigeon vs Blue-headed Wood-dove
Columba livia compared with Turtur brehmeri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Pigeon | Blue-headed Wood-dove |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba livia | Turtur brehmeri |
| 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) | 25.3 cm (10.0 in) |
| Weight | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) | 121.2 g (4.28 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.
Blue-headed Wood-dove
Soft, gentle cooing with blue-headed resonance; pure warm notes through dense humid tropical forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Blue-headed Wood-dove
Conservation Status
Rock Pigeon
Blue-headed Wood-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
Blue-headed Wood-dove
White-quilled Rock-pigeon: white wing quills; gray above; pale below; bare red facial skin; Australian rock escarpment 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.
Blue-headed Wood-dove
Small dove, 22–25 cm, rich rufous-brown with a blue-grey head, two small iridescent wing spots, and rose-pink breast. Confined to lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa from Guinea to the DRC. Terrestrial granivore of seeds on the forest floor. Least Concern.