Datasets -> Columba Livia -> General Information

Entrez Taxonomy
Columba Livia, the rock dove, is more well known to city-dwellers worldwide as the common pigeon. The species was originally native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East stretching through India, but now has introduced populations throughout most of the world. They are abundant, with estimates suggesting that there are about 120 million individuals worldwide. The rock dove gets its name from its nesting habits in the wild, preferring crevices in rock formations and cliff faces. It prefers to avoid dense vegetation, which may factor in to the species' long commensal history with humans and urban dwellings. Domesticated pigeons, which have existed for as many as five millennia, have been used for homing purposes and message delivery as well as for food. columba livia, rock dove, rock pigeon, pigeon