Rock Pigeon vs Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Columba livia compared with Zentrygon carrikeri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Pigeon | Tuxtla Quail-Dove |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba livia | Zentrygon carrikeri |
| 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) | 29.3 cm (11.5 in) |
| Weight | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) | 270.5 g (9.54 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| 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.
Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Geographic Range & Migration
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Conservation Status
Rock Pigeon
Tuxtla Quail-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
Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Tuxtla Quail-Dove: dark brown above; rufous-buff below; bare blue-gray facial skin; long tail; Tuxtla Mexico endemic; endangered
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.
Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Medium quail-dove, 25–28 cm, with brown upperparts, grey head and neck, rufous breast, and pale facial stripe. Confined to cloud forest and humid montane forest in Veracruz and adjacent Oaxaca, Mexico. Terrestrial forager of seeds and fruits. Endangered due to extreme range restriction and continuous cloud-forest loss.