Rock Dove

Columba livia

Introduction

If you were searching forFeral Pigeon you have been redirected to our Rock Dove page because this species is the ancestor of the Feral Pigeon.

You can find information about both Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons on this page.
You can learn more about both birds in our blog,Wild Rock Doves: solving a genetic enigma.

A deep-red eye, pale-grey plumage, two black wingbars and a white rump make the Rock Dove a beautiful bird.

The Rock Dove is the ancestor of the Feral Pigeon, but truly wild birds occupy a very different setting to their urban cousins. Wild Rock Doves are confined to our northern rocky coasts and islands and nest in sea caves and on steep cliff ledges, whilst Feral Pigeons use a range of human structures, from windowsills to the underside of bridges.

Wild Rock Doves are ringed as part of the Ringing Scheme, results from which reveal that they can live to over seven years of age and, unlike their racing relatives, rarely move very far.

Key Stats

Common

359.6g

2-2

13%

BTO Records

2m records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

465k Pairs

46.1% expansion

No data

No current data

22.1% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Rock Dove

ID Videos

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This section features BTO training videos headlining this species, or featuring it as a potential confusion species.

Pigeons

Songs and Calls

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Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Rock Dove, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Song:

Call:

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern

Green listed

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

Listed on the Annexes of*

WBD(II*), Bern(III)

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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UK (breeding)

465 Pairs (2016)

Source

BOU Category

A C4

Source

First Record*

Recorded in Medieval times

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Pure Rock Doves have a very limited distribution, thought to be restricted to remote coastlines of northern and western Scotland and northern Ireland; across the rest of the UK, Feral Pigeons are widespread, although absent from many upland areas [Balmer et al. 2013]. The specoes is poorly monitored, but long-term trend from BBS data shows a moderate, but not statistically significant decline.

Distribution

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Pure Rock Doves are thought to be restricted to remote coastlines of north and west Scotland and north, west and south Ireland. Elsewhere, birds resembling Rock Doves occur in many Feral Pigeon flocks. Owing to the difficulty of assigning such individuals to each form the maps here combine Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons. The resulting maps show this resident species to be widespread in Britain, though largely absent from the uplands of central Wales, northwest England, the Southern Uplands and Scottish Highlands. In Ireland it is found mostly in the east and south, and is absent from large parts of the midlands.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

2362

% occupied in breeding season

78%

No. occupied in winter

2460

% occupied in winter

81%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and indicate by how much occupied areas have expanded or contracted over recent decades.

% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)

46.1 %

% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11)

22.1 %

Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Winter Distribution change for Rock Dove

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution change for Rock Dove

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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Rock Doves (and Feral Pigeons) are recorded throughout the year.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Rock Dove movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Rock Dove, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

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Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods

Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width

39x29 mm

Mass (% shell)

17.8g (6%)

Source

Clutch Size

Typical number

2-2 eggs

Observed minimum and maximum

1-2 eggs

Source

Incubation

Incubation by

Male + Female

Typical duration

19-16 days

Source

Fledging

Type of chick

Altricial, downy

Typical duration

37-35 days

Source

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age

3 years with breeding typically at 1 year

Source

Maximum age from a ringed bird

7 years, 8 months, 25 days (set in 2010)

Source

Survival of adults

All adults

0.665±0.049

Source

Survival of juveniles

All juveniles

0.57±0.073 (in first year)

Source

Biometrics

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Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Wing length

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

All adults

229.3±7.1 mm

(218-241 mm, N=58)

Body weight

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

All adults

229.3±7.1 mm

(218-241 mm, N=58)

Ring Size

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Rock Dove

Classification and Codes

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Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Scientific name: Columba livia
Authority: JF Gmelin, 1789

BTO 2-letter code: DV
BTO 5-letter code: ROCDO
Euring code number: 6650

Alternate species names

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Catalan: colom roquer
Czech: holub skalní
Danish: Klippedue
Dutch: Rotsduif
Estonian: kaljutuvi
Finnish: kalliokyyhky (kesykyyhky)
French: Pigeon biset
Gaelic: Calman-creige

German: Felsentaube
Hungarian: szirti galamb
Icelandic: Bjargdúfa
Irish: Colm Aille
Italian: Piccione selvatico
Latvian: klinšu balodis
Lithuanian: uolinis karvelis
Norwegian: Klippedue (Bydue)

Polish: golab skalny
Portuguese: pombo-doméstico / pombo-das-rochas
Slovak: holub divý
Slovenian: skalni golob
Spanish: Paloma bravía
Swedish: klippduva
Welsh: Colomen y Graig

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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