Rock Dove (Columba livia)

OTHER NAMES: Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Common Pigeon
Latin Etymology: Columba ("pigeon/dove") livia ("rock dove")

Adult Rock Dove (subspecies C. l. domestica) at Regent's Park, London - October 2009

Featured Subspecies: Columba livia domestica ("Feral Pigeon")

Weight: 360g  /  Length: 29-37cm  /  Wingspan: 62-72cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

About the easiest bird to see in the UK - widely spread, and present in towns in large numbers. Appearance varies wildly as it mixes with white doves and fancy breeds, but the above image represents one of the most common colourations, as well as being one of the more natural plumage before breeding. Photographing them is equally easy- pigeons in towns will usually be very tame, probably about the easiest of all birds to see.  You must bear in mind, that although feral pigeons are abundant, the true wild rock dove is limited to a few coasts in isolated parts of Scotland - ironic considering the success of it's feral counterpart, however, for the sake of this project, the feral ones count.

Related Species:
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columba
Subspecies: C. l. livia, C. l. atlantis, C. l. canariensis, C. l. gymnocycla, C. l. targia, C. l. dakhlae, C. l. butleri,C. l. schimperi, C. l. palaestinae, C. l. gaddi,C. l. neglecta, C. l. intermedia,C. l. nigricans, C. l. domestica 

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Common to abundant in cities.

 - Birds seen commonly at a large number of sites, including but not limited to Rutland Water, Trevose Head, Rainham Marshes, Regent's Park, Kensington Gardens, Pitsford Reservoir, Ditchford Gravel Pits, Eyebrook Reservoir and Geddington.

JAPAN - Japanese - カワラバト / Kawara-bato ("Dry Riverbed Pigeon")

Common in cities.

 - Seen in Kyoto and Tokyo.

MALAYSIA - Malaysia - Merpati ("Pigeon")
Common in cities.

 - Seen in all cities..

SPAIN - Spanish - Paloma bravía ("Brave dove")

Common in cities.

 - Seen on all trips.

UNITED STATES 
Feral population throughout

- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Francisco and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto