Therock dove (Columba livia, also occasionally known asrock pigeon,common pigeon or just thePigeon) is a member of thebird familyColumbidae. Rock doves are now rare in the wild, only found on remoteislands and rockycliffs in the far west and south ofEurope east to centralAsia.Domesticated birds which have becomeferal, most often calledferal pigeons or simplypigeons, can however be found incities,towns andvillages all over theworld, picking up droppedfood instreets andparks, and begging food from people. Domesticated pigeons are also kept aspoultry for food, and ashoming pigeons, for thesport of pigeon racing.
The wild rock dove is very distinct, with a light grey back and body with two black stripes on itswings, and a dark blue-grey head with shinyfeathers on the side of the neck which reflect green and purple light. Domesticated birds are much more variable, with a wide range of colours, including white, pink, and brown not seen in wild birds.
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Rock doves have beendomesticated for several thousand years, giving rise to the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica).[1] They have been domesticated as long as 5,000 years ago.[2] There are manybreeds of pigeons, with many sizes and colours.[3] Domesticated pigeons are used ashoming pigeons as well as food andpets. They were in the past also used ascarrier pigeons.
Many domestic birds have got lost, escaped or been released over the years and have been madeferal pigeons. These show a variety of colour and size, but many have the same pattern as does the rock dove. Feral pigeons are found incities andtowns all over the world.[4] The rareness of the wild species is somewhat due to breeding with feral birds.
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