Pigeon

Pigeon facts at a glance

How big is a pigeon?

An adult pigeon measures 35 cm long — about 20% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 400 g, about 1% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of pigeons called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Origins and appearance

The city pigeon is a domesticated and feral form of the wild rock dove, a bird that naturally nests on sea cliffs and rocky ledges. That cliff heritage is why pigeons feel at home on the ledges and window sills of buildings, which mimic their ancestral crags. Typical birds are grey with two dark wing bars and a glossy green-and-purple neck, though centuries of domestication have produced many colours and patterns.

Homing and navigation

Pigeons possess one of the most remarkable navigation abilities in the animal world, able to find their way home from hundreds of miles away in unfamiliar territory. They appear to combine several senses, including the Earth's magnetic field, the position of the sun, and even smell and low-frequency sound, to build a mental map. This talent made them prized racing and messenger birds, and homing pigeons carried vital messages in both World Wars.

Diet and city life

Pigeons are granivores that naturally eat seeds and grain, but in towns they readily scavenge bread, scraps, and other human food. This adaptable diet is a key reason they thrive in cities across the world. They feed in flocks and can drink by sucking water up directly, unlike most birds that must tip their heads back to swallow.

Breeding and crop milk

Pigeons breed year-round in mild conditions and usually lay two white eggs at a time. Both parents share incubation and feed their chicks, called squabs, on a rich secretion known as crop milk that is produced in the lining of the crop. This nutritious food lets pigeons raise young even when seeds are scarce, helping them nest repeatedly through the year.

Flight and speed

Pigeons are powerful, fast fliers, cruising at around 90 km/h (56 mph) and reaching higher speeds when racing over long distances. Their strong flight muscles and streamlined build let them cover great distances with ease. Racing pigeons bred for speed and endurance can fly home across hundreds of miles in a single day.

Intelligence and lifespan

Pigeons are surprisingly intelligent birds that can recognise individual human faces, learn to distinguish letters of the alphabet, and even tell apart paintings by different artists in laboratory tests. In the wild they usually live 3 to 5 years, but well-kept birds can reach around 15 years of age. Widespread and adaptable, the pigeon is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Did you know? Pigeon facts

• The common pigeon, or rock dove, is a familiar grey bird of cities worldwide and the ancestor of all domestic and racing pigeons.
• A group of pigeons is called a flock, and a trained group flown together is sometimes called a kit. A baby pigeon is called a squab.
• Homing pigeons navigate using a combination of the sun, the Earth's magnetic field, their sense of smell, and familiar landmarks, allowing them to return over hundreds of kilometres from unfamiliar places.
• Yes, broadly. Pigeon and dove are common names for birds in the same family, with no strict scientific difference; 'dove' often refers to smaller species and 'pigeon' to larger ones.
• Baby pigeons, called squabs, stay hidden in the nest on ledges and in cavities until they are nearly adult-sized, so by the time they leave they look much like grown pigeons.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Pigeon feeds primarily as a granivore (seeds, grain, scraps). Pigeons can breed year-round wherever food is plentiful, which is part of why they are so common in cities. Unusually, both parents produce a nutritious secretion called crop milk to feed their chicks, known as squabs, in their first days. A pair can raise s

Adaptations

• Pigeons have a remarkable ability to find their way home over long distances, even from places they have never been. They appear to navigate using the sun, the Earth's magnetic field, smell, and familiar landmarks. This talent has been used for thousands of years to carry messages, and racing pigeons can cover hundreds of kilometres at average speeds of around 80 km/h.
• The rock dove was one of the first birds ever domesticated, kept for food, sport, and communication for at least 5,000 years. Homing pigeons carried news of ancient Olympic victories and military dispatches; one pigeon, Cher Ami, saved a trapped battalion in the First World War. Today's feral city pigeons are descended from these domestic birds that returned to the wild.

Behaviour & ecology

• Pigeons have a remarkable ability to find their way home over long distances, even from places they have never been. They appear to navigate using the sun, the Earth's magnetic field, smell, and familiar landmarks. This talent has been used for thousands of years to carry messages, and racing pigeons can cover hundreds of kilometres at average speeds of around 80 km/h.
• The rock dove was one of the first birds ever domesticated, kept for food, sport, and communication for at least 5,000 years. Homing pigeons carried news of ancient Olympic victories and military dispatches; one pigeon, Cher Ami, saved a trapped battalion in the First World War. Today's feral city pigeons are descended from these domestic birds that returned to the wild.
• Pigeons can breed year-round wherever food is plentiful, which is part of why they are so common in cities. Unusually, both parents produce a nutritious secretion called crop milk to feed their chicks, known as squabs, in their first days. A pair can raise several broods a year, helping populations stay high.

Communication

• Pigeon uses calls and visual displays to communicate territory, alarm, and breeding status.
• Vocal repertoires vary by species and are often learned or refined during development.

Habitat & range

Cities, cliffs, farmland worldwide

Ecological role

Pigeon contributes to seed dispersal, insect control, or nutrient cycling depending on diet and foraging habits.

Conservation status of the Pigeon

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Pigeon:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Columba livia.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Columba livia. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Columba livia. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• eBird — bird observations

  Cornell Lab eBird target search for Pigeon. Check recent checklists and seasonal abundance where birders report this species.

• IUCN Red List — Columba livia.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Columba livia. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Pigeon.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.