The rock pigeon is also known as the rock dove and common pigeon. Rock pigeon is the wild form of the bird, but the pigeons familiar to most of us are the domesticated forms of the wild rock pigeon. Wild rock pigeons are pale gray with two black bars on each wing. The domestic pigeon, which includes about 1,000 different breeds, descends from the rock pigeon. Escaped domestic pigeons are the origin of feral pigeons and both forms can vary widely in the color and pattern of their plumage, unlike their wild ancestor. As indicated in the range map below, from Wikipedia, the native range is in northern Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe and southwestern Asia.
I had a domesticated rock pigeon which looks a lot like the wild rock pigeon. I took it from a nest in a barn in my grandparents back yard which was a part of Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City, Utah. I took it to my 5th or 6th grade elementary school class and we kept it their until the end of the school year, feeding it with an eye dropper. When school ended I took it home. It roosted in our back yard and pooped all over our back patio and window sills. My dad hated it. I named it Midge and Midge would stand on my head or shoulder and follow me around, walking behind me. Midge was later killed by a car when she was following (walking) a couple of children as they crossed a street. One of the best pets I ever had. The photo below is of me with Midge in our living room.
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| Illustration of a wild rock pigeon from Birds of the World. |
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| Feral rock pigeon near the Concho Riverwalk in San Angelo, Texas. |
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