
Photo: Laitche · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Columba livia
Diet
Seeds and other plant material
Habitat
Cliffs, rocky country and buildings
Clutch size
2 eggs
Size
29–37cm
Wingspan
62–72cm
Weight
238–380g
Wild-type rock doves are compact pigeons with a small head, broad chest and pointed wings. The typical adult is bluish-grey, with two black bars across each wing, a pale grey rump and iridescent green and purple on the neck. The bill is dark with a conspicuous pale cere, and the legs are reddish. Feral descendants vary widely in colour, so structure, wing pattern and flock behaviour can be more useful than body colour alone. (Wikipedia, rock dove account)
Rock doves naturally use cliffs, caves and rocky ledges, while feral birds occupy buildings that provide similar sheltered nesting sites. They spend much of the day on the ground eating seeds and other plant material, often feeding socially, and return to ledges to rest. Pairs form lasting bonds and build slight platform nests of twigs. The usual clutch is two white eggs; both sexes incubate and feed the chicks with crop milk before adding softened food. (Wikipedia, rock dove account)