Rock dove Columba livia

Identification Tips:

• Length: 11 inches
• The familiar "pigeon" of cities and parks
• Sexes similar
• Adult similar to juvenile
• Large, chunky dove
• Medium length tail is squared off at tip
• Highly variable plumage (some can be entirely chestnut, white, black or anything in between)

Typical color morph:

• Dark bill
• Dark gray head, neck and upper breast
• Green and purple iridescence on hindneck
• Pale gray back, wings and belly
• Two dark bars on wings (formed from dark tips to secondaries and greater secondary coverts)
• Dark gray primaries
• White rump
• Pale gray tail with black terminal band

Similar species:

Other pigeons are wholly dark with different head patterns. All other species lack double dark bar on wing and have darker wings and backs.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.