The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the “pigeon”. If you are looking for pigeon names. Look Here: “Pigeons Names”. If you’d like to see funny pigeon videos, Look Here: “Pigeons Like To Play As Well”
Facts About Rock Pigeon
The rock dove or ‘pigeon’ has a dark bluish-gray head, neck, and chest with glossy yellowish, greenish, and reddish-purple iridescent along its neck and wing feathers.
1- Places where rock pigeons live: Urban areas, farmland, and rocky cliffs. May gather in large flocks in urban parks where people feed them.
2- Habitat of pigeons: Wild Columba livia are native to Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia. Feral pigeons are found worldwide, including throughout all of North America.
3- What do pigeons eat: Rock doves eat mainly seeds including corn, wheat, peas, popcorn, cake, peanuts, bread, currants, oats and barley. Pigeons also readily eat food intentionally or unintentionally left by people, including bread crumbs and littered food.
4- Behavior of pigeons: They flock while roosting, sunning, and feeding. Pigeons generally walk while bobbing their heads forward and backward. Pigeons fly with a direct path. Pigeons are most often seen during daylight. Pigeons seek cover at night or during the heat of the day.
5- Pigeon nest placement: Male pigeons typically choose the nest site. Pigeons may nest in stairwells, in rooms of abandoned buildings, or rain gutters. In urban areas, pigeons nest on a variety of covered, flat surfaces, including ledges and beams in bridges and buildings. In natural areas, they nest on sheltered cliff-ledges
Male and female pigeon work cooperatively in most aspects of nesting and rearing of the youngs. The male supplies nesting material, and the female builds the nest, a platform of twigs and grass. Nest sites are used repeatedly and nesting material is added for each new brood.
6- Pigeon Migration: Rock Pigeons do not migrate.
7- Pigeon Reproduction: Pigeons may raise 5 or more broods a year. They generally lay 2 eggs. Both parents incubate the two eggs for 16-19 days, and both feed the youngs with ‘pigeon milk,’ a protein and fat-rich liquid produced in their crops. The young pigeons leave the nest at about 4 weeks of age.
- Number of Eggs in each laying: 1-3 eggs
- Number of Broods in a year: 1-6 broods
- Incubation Period: 18 days
- Nestling Period: 25-32 days
- Egg Description: White
