Rock Pigeon vs Tambourine Dove
Columba livia compared with Turtur tympanistria
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Pigeon | Tambourine Dove |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba livia | Turtur tympanistria |
| 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) | 22.6 cm (8.9 in) |
| Weight | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) | 69.23333333333333 g (2.44 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.
Tambourine Dove
Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes typical of South American lowland terrain. 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.
Tambourine Dove
Conservation Status
Rock Pigeon
Tambourine 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
Tambourine Dove
Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon: chestnut wing quills; gray above; pale below; bare red facial skin; Australian rock cliff pigeon
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.
Tambourine Dove
Small dove, 22–24 cm; male has strikingly white face, forehead, and breast contrasting with dark brown upperparts; female is browner. Inhabits rainforest, gallery forest, and dense woodland from Sierra Leone to Uganda, Angola, and South Africa. Granivore of seeds on the forest floor. Least Concern.