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Rock Dove Columba livia   [JF Gmelin, 1789]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae
BTO Codes: DV , ROCDO EURING No: 6650
Number in Britain: 100 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (AC4)  Resident Breeder
Subspecies: livia recorded in Britain (of 9 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 32 cm Wingspan: 66 cm Weight: M/F: 300 g    
Scientific name from: L.: columba=a pigeon or dove and Mod. L.: liveus=bluish-grey
World Distribution: Originally Eurasia & n Africa
Habitat: Cliffs, caves & eaves
Diet: Seeds of cereals and weeds; feral birds also take scraps extensively
TitBit: The ancestor of all feral pigeons (and doesticated pigeons, of which Darwin counted 228 distinct varieties), 'pure' Rock Doves probably now only exist in the wildest corners of northern Europe and Asia, where they nest on sheer sea-cliffs  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 100 thousand pairs in 1968-72
    First Record: 10th Century [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 6.8 to 10 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WBD(II*), Bern(III)
Survey Results: BirdTrack
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 39 x 29 mm Egg Weight: 17.8 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 41
Clutch Size: 2 eggs
Incubation: 16 - 19 days by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 35 - 37 days as: Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 5+

Number Ringed: 62
Adult Survival: 0.665 Juvenile Survival: 0.570 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 7yr0m
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Biometrics
Ring Size: E
Wing Length Adult: 229.3 ± 7.1 Range 218 - 241 mm, N =58
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: 359.6 ± 43.06 Range 299.0 - 441.0 g , N =57
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Common / Feral Pigeon
Gaelic: Calman-creige Welsh: Colomen Ddôf
Danish: Klippedue Dutch: Rotsduif
Finnish: Kalliokyyhky French: Pigeon biset
German: Felsentaube Hungarian: Szirti galamb
Icelandic: Bjargdúfa Irish: Colm Aille
Italian: Piccione selvatico Norwegian: Klippedue
Polish: Golab skalny Portuguese: Pombo-das-rochas
Spanish: Paloma bravía Swedish: Klippduva
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Goodwin, D. 1983 Pigeons and doves of the world (3rd ed) Cornell University Press, Ithaca [598.623 GOO]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
BOU Register of Avian Theses entry
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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