No matter which corner of the world one goes, be it a village or a city, there is one bird which is so conspicuous that we would never miss it. It is the omnipresent Blue- rock Pigeon or the Rock Dove (). The Rock Dove is a very interesting species with 12 subspecies recognized till date. There are three distinct populations recognized- wild, domestic and feral. The adult of the Rock Dove is 29 to 37 cm. It has a dark bluish-grey head, neck, and chest with glossy yellowish, greenish, and reddish-purple iridescence along its neck and wing feathers. The iris is orange, red or golden. The bill is grey-black with a conspicuous off-white covering at the base of the upper beak and the feet are purplish-red. The adult female is almost identical to the male, but the iridescence on the neck is less and more restricted to the rear and sides, while that on the breast is often very vague. Young birds show little lustre and are duller. The feet in all age groups are red to pink. Often people ask how to differentiate a wild Rock Dove from the domestic or feral Dove; the white lower back of the wild Rock Dove is its best identification character.
Pigeons feed on the ground in flocks or individually. They roost together in buildings or on walls or rock crevices in the wild. Unlike other birds, the pigeon/dove family species and drink water continuously without having to tilt their heads back.
The Rock Dove has a restricted natural resident range in western and southern Europe, North Africa, and into South Asia, however they have been introduced into all the corners of the world by humans. It is estimated that there are about 17“28 million individuals just in Europe!
The Rock Dove has a year round breading season. Nesting sites of wild populations are along coastal cliff faces and mountain ridges while the feral populations will nest in artificial cliff faces created by apartment buildings with accessible ledges or roof spaces and window ledges. The nest is a flimsy platform of straw and sticks, laid together.
Pigeons are as such not a serious health hazard to humans as it is popularly thought but it is a host for many parasites like mites and lice. There are chances though that exposure to their droppings and feathers can cause a lung disease called bird fancier's lung.
Image Credit: Mandar Bhagat
