🐾

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Least Concern →

Diet

Herbivore

Lifespan

6 years

Length

33 cm

Weight

300 g

Population

260.0M

Trend

→ Stable

About

Among the world's most successful birds, rock pigeons are native to sea cliffs and caves of Europe, North Africa, and South Asia but have been domesticated for thousands of years and introduced globally to every urban center on Earth. Their exceptional homing ability — navigating thousands of kilometers using magnetic fields, sun position, and landmarks — has made them vital military messengers and racing sport birds. Today, feral populations inhabit every major city worldwide.

Fun Facts

✨ Pigeons can find their way home over 1,800 km.
✨ They can fly at 160 km/h.

Habitat & Distribution

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

🏗️ Artificial - Terrestrial 🪨 Rocky Areas

Widely distributed across Africa (24 countries), Asia (16 countries), Europe (21 countries), North America (21 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (10 countries).

🇷🇼 Rwanda 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 🇸🇴 Somalia 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇸🇸 South Sudan 🇹🇿 Tanzania 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 🇱🇦 Laos 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇧🇿 Belize 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇸🇻 El Salvador 🇭🇹 Haiti 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇻🇳 Vietnam 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 🇱🇸 Lesotho 🇱🇷 Liberia 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇦🇴 Angola 🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇧🇹 Bhutan 🇧🇳 Brunei 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇴 Jordan 🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇾🇪 Yemen 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇬🇩 Grenada 🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇵🇱 Poland 🇪🇸 Spain 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇻🇺 Vanuatu 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇯 Benin 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇮 Burundi 🇯🇲 Jamaica 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 🇵🇦 Panama 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 🇼🇸 Samoa 🇧🇼 Botswana 🇹🇴 Tonga 🇺🇸 United States 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇰🇲 Comoros 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇫🇯 Fiji 🇬🇾 Guyana 🇰🇮 Kiribati 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇧🇧 Barbados 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇩🇯 Djibouti 🇩🇲 Dominica 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇻 Maldives 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇫🇲 Micronesia 🇳🇦 Namibia 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 🇻🇪 Venezuela

Diet & Behavior

🌿

Herbivore

Rock Pigeon is classified as herbivore, adapted to its ecological niche.

Diet

🌿 Herbivore

Plant matter 100%

Conservation Status

LC Least Concern

Estimated Population

260.0M

Population Trend

→ Stable

Full Taxonomy

Columbiformes (Pigeons & Doves)

Species

Columba livia (Rock Pigeon)

Names in Other Languages

Japanese カワラバト

Chinese 原鴿

Spanish Paloma doméstica

French Pigeon biset

German Felsentaube

Portuguese pombo-doméstico / pombo-das-rochas

Russian Сизый голубь

Arabic حمام ازرق

Thai นกพิราบป่า

Similar Species in Columba

View all species in Columba →

Explore More

Artificial - Terrestrial

Compare Species

vs Andaman Wood-Pigeon vs Bronze-naped Pigeon vs Cameroon Pigeon vs Common Wood-Pigeon

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Rock Pigeon?

The scientific name of Rock Pigeon is Columba livia. It belongs to the genus Columba.

What is the conservation status of Rock Pigeon?

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. The population trend is stable.

Where does Rock Pigeon live?

Rock Pigeon is found in Widely distributed across Africa (24 countries), Asia (16 countries), Europe (21 countries), North America (21 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (10 countries).. Countries include Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan.

What family does Rock Pigeon belong to?

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) belongs to the genus Columba, which is part of the taxonomic family Columbidae.

What does Rock Pigeon eat?

Rock Pigeon is herbivore. Its diet is adapted to its natural habitat and ecological niche.

How long does Rock Pigeon live?

Rock Pigeon has an average lifespan of approximately 6 years in the wild.

How many Rock Pigeon are left in the wild?

The estimated wild population of Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) is approximately 260,000,000 individuals.

Is Rock Pigeon endangered?

No, Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at significant risk of extinction.