Feral Pigeon vs Mourning Dove

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Also known as: City Dove, City Pigeon, Streen Pigeon

How to recognise a feral pigeon?

General appearance

The feral pigeon is a bird with generally stocky body, and short, stout beak. Its plumage is variable, often blue-grey but can have a wide range of colors due to interbreeding. Its feathers often have iridescent neck feathers and a broad, rounded tail.

Male vs female

Males and females largely look alike, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Both sexes generally share the same physical characteristics. However, males may have a slightly wider body and a more pronounced iridescence at the neck.

Juvenile

Juvenile feral pigeons exhibit less glossy neck feathers and have a duller, less variegated plumage than adults. They usually attain their adult coloration after their first molt. Also, their eyes are generally darker compared to the bright, orange-red eyes of the adults.

Size

11.4 - 13.8 in/8.1 - 13.1 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

Feral pigeons thrive in urban environments worldwide, especially in city centers and around buildings. They are descendants of domesticated rock pigeons, adapted to human settlements.

Additional range

They occupy various climates, from tropical to temperate regions, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Unexpectedly, they can also adapt to coastal cliffs similar to their wild ancestors.

Range Map

What do feral pigeons like to eat?

Natural diet

Feral pigeons primarily consume seeds and grains, which they forage from fields and urban environments. They are known to eat a variety of seeds, including those from grasses and cereals. Pigeons also feed on fruits and berries when available, and occasionally consume small insects and larvae.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, feral pigeons often consume a wide range of foods provided for other birds. They are particularly attracted to bread crumbs, seeds, and grains commonly found in birdseed mixes. Sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and millet are frequently consumed by pigeons at feeders.

What does a feral pigeon sound like?

Awake with the dawn, feral pigeons chime their delight in a chorus of coos and flutters. A cascading, rhythmic melody of soft throaty rumbles and occasional high pitch coos is their language of love. Crackling wing beats intermingle, like rustic wind chimes serenading the morning sun. Then, there is the 'clap-clap', a celebratory dance in the sky; performed by males, their wingtips kiss, creating a hushed applause. Mingle all these delightful sounds with the urban hum in the background, and it's just another pigeon-fronted symphony, bringing their cheerful buoyancy even into the busiest city's heartbeat.

Call

Audio by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Also known as: American Mourning Dove, Rain Dove, Turtle Dove, Carolina Pigeon, Carolina Turtledove

How to recognise a mourning dove?

General appearance

The mourning dove is roughly the size of a crow, bearing characteristics of a long, pointed tail which is about 12', or 30 cm long. This tail displays white spots along its edge while in flight. The bird’s wings are adorned with black spots and its overall coloration exhibits hues of black, brown, gray, pink, tan, and white. The dove has a pointed, wedge-shaped tail.

Male vs female

The sexes of mourning doves can be distinguished by their coloration. Adult males generally have a pinkish tinge on their chests and a blue-gray tone on their crowns. However, the female doves are more dull and plain, predominantly appearing in a shade of brown.

Juvenile

Young mourning doves have a unique scaly appearance that can lead them to be confused with the Inca Dove or the Common Ground Dove. They do not possess the vivid coloring of the adults and generally appear more muted in color.

Size

9.1 - 13.4 in/3.0 - 6.0 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The mourning dove primarily inhabits open and semi-open locations in temperate parts of North America. This includes farms, towns, open woods, roadsides, and grasslands.

Additional range

It is prevalent in places with both trees and open ground, known as edge habitats, and occasionally in treeless areas. Unexpectedly, it also frequents suburban areas, farmland, prairies, and deserts, while avoiding unbroken forests.

Range Map

What do mourning doves like to eat?

Natural diet

The mourning dove predominantly consumes seeds, which constitute 99% of its diet. It shows a preference for seeds from cultivated grains, grasses, ragweeds, and various other plants. Occasionally, its natural diet includes snails and very rarely any insects.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, mourning doves enjoy seeds commonly provided, such as millet and cracked corn. Their preference aligns with the availability of cultivated grain and grass seeds often found in birdseed mixes.

What does a mourning dove sound like?

The mourning dove's vocalizations are characterized by its low, mournful coo-ah followed by three coos. This unique call pattern is projected in a falling, flat, yet undulating manner. Despite its melancholic tone, the dove's hoot type call is nonetheless captivating and distinct, reinforcing its colloquial name.

Call

Audio by Francis C, Ortega C, Cruz A

/ CC BY-SA 2.5

Song

Audio by Gabriel Leite

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

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Feral Pigeon

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Mourning Dove

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Also known as: City Dove, City Pigeon, Streen Pigeon

General appearance

The feral pigeon is a bird with generally stocky body, and short, stout beak. Its plumage is variable, often blue-grey but can have a wide range of colors due to interbreeding. Its feathers often have iridescent neck feathers and a broad, rounded tail.

Male vs female

Males and females largely look alike, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Both sexes generally share the same physical characteristics. However, males may have a slightly wider body and a more pronounced iridescence at the neck.

Juvenile

Juvenile feral pigeons exhibit less glossy neck feathers and have a duller, less variegated plumage than adults. They usually attain their adult coloration after their first molt. Also, their eyes are generally darker compared to the bright, orange-red eyes of the adults.

Size

11.4 - 13.8 in/8.1 - 13.1 oz

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Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Also known as: American Mourning Dove, Rain Dove, Turtle Dove, Carolina Pigeon, Carolina Turtledove

General appearance

The mourning dove is roughly the size of a crow, bearing characteristics of a long, pointed tail which is about 12', or 30 cm long. This tail displays white spots along its edge while in flight. The bird’s wings are adorned with black spots and its overall coloration exhibits hues of black, brown, gray, pink, tan, and white. The dove has a pointed, wedge-shaped tail.

Male vs female

The sexes of mourning doves can be distinguished by their coloration. Adult males generally have a pinkish tinge on their chests and a blue-gray tone on their crowns. However, the female doves are more dull and plain, predominantly appearing in a shade of brown.

Juvenile

Young mourning doves have a unique scaly appearance that can lead them to be confused with the Inca Dove or the Common Ground Dove. They do not possess the vivid coloring of the adults and generally appear more muted in color.

Size

9.1 - 13.4 in/3.0 - 6.0 oz

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How to tell the Feral Pigeon from the Mourning Dove

Visual differences

The Feral Pigeon is generally heavier (8-13 oz.) than the Mourning Dove (3-6 oz.) and has a stocky body with a short, stout beak, whereas the Mourning Dove is slender with a pointed beak. Feral Pigeons have variable plumage, often blue-grey with iridescent neck feathers, while Mourning Doves exhibit tan, gray, and pink hues with a distinctive long, pointed tail with white edges. Mourning Doves also have black wing spots. Tail shape (rounded vs. pointed) and body build are key differentiators.

Key differences and behavior

Feral Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) and Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) share similarities like urban habitation and primarily seed-based diets but differ in behavior and habitat. Feral Pigeons, thriving in global city environments and building niches, are adaptable to various climates. They engage in elaborate courtship displays and jointly incubate eggs, with chicks fed pigeon milk. Mourning Doves, favoring temperate open terrains like farms and grasslands, exhibit aerial displays with noisier wingbeats during courtship. They construct flimsy twig nests primarily in trees or shrubs and feed their squabs crop milk, with fledging occurring faster than pigeons. Pigeons show a broader color diet preference, whereas doves focus on seeds, exhibiting rapid consumption.