Pigeon (Columba livia)
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columba
Species: Columba livia
Conservation Status in Idaho
Least Concern
Range and Habitat
Sustains itself in the wild around cities, farms, cliffs, bridges. In North America most common around cities, also in suburban areas and farms, occasionally in wild places far from human dwellings. In native range, nested on cliffs along coast and in inland mountains and gorges.
Physical Features
Length: 13 1/2″ (34 cm)
Size: About the size of a Crow, about the size of a Robin
Color: Black, gray, green, pink, purple, white
Wing Shape: Pointed, rounded
Tail Shape: Rounded, square-tipped
The ancestral type has pale gray body, darker head, white rump, two black bars on wings. In flight, shows contrasty white underwings. Feral flocks include a wide variety of other color forms, some of which might suggest the wild native Band-tailed Pigeon.
Diet
Eats a wide variety of seeds. It may also eat some insects and plants. In cities, rock pigeons eat seeds, peanuts, french fries, popcorn and a variety of handouts from humans. The rock pigeon feeds on the ground in groups.
Lifespan
3-5 years in the wild; up to 15 years in captivity
Reproduction
The female rock pigeon lays 2 eggs in a nest lined with sticks, leaves, stems, roots, and debris. In the wild, the nest is built on a cliff. In cities and towns, the nest is placed on window ledges, on roofs, in traffic lights, and under bridges.
The male builds the nest. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs for 19 days. Both parents feed the chicks or squabs “pigeon milk.” Pigeon milk is a a mixture of water, fat, minerals and protein that the male and female rock pigeon produce in their crop. Their crop is a sac at the bottom of their esophagus. Pigeon milk is also called crop milk. The chicks fledge when they they are 25-26 days old. The female may have as many as 5 broods a year. Male and female rock pigeons may mate for more than one season and often use the same nest for many years.
Social Behavior and Interaction
May mate for life. In courtship, male spreads tail, puffs up chest, and struts about, often strutting in circles around female, repeatedly bowing and cooing. Nest: Natural sites are on sheltered cliff ledges. In cities and around human dwellings, uses artificial replacements such as window ledges of tall buildings, barn lofts, rain gutters, many others. Nest (built by female, with material supplied by male) is platform of twigs, grass. Pair may use same site repeatedly, adding to nest each time.
The rock pigeon and other birds in the Columbidae family have a unique way of drinking water. Most birds take a sip of water and then throw back their heads to swallow. The rock pigeon uses its bill like a straw to suck up water!
Major Threats
Predators, human activities and disease.