Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
The wild Rock Dove is the ancestor of all feral and domesticated pigeons. We are all familiar with the Feral Pigeon, it’s that grey-blue bird found in all towns and cities of the UK. It has a wide variation in colouration ranging from pale grey to cinnamon brown. There are even some that look exactly like wild Rock Doves.
Wild Rock Doves are now only found in rocky areas and cliffs in remote regions. Places where Feral Pigeons tend to keep away from, like upland areas.
Feral Pigeons are slightly smaller than Wood Pigeons and larger than Collared Doves. Wild Rock Doves are only found along coastal areas of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Whereas domesticated Rock Doves (Feral Pigeons) are found all over the UK.
To find out more about these common but interesting birds, keep reading.
Table of Contents
How Long Does A Rock Dove Live?
The life expectancy of the Rock Dove depends on many factors including predation and environmental conditions. For instance Feral Pigeons that live in towns and cities all across the lowlands of the UK, tend to have a life expectancy of around 7 years.
Whereas Rock Doves that live in the harsh environment of cliffs and rocky areas of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland tend to survive for around 3 to 5 years.
According to ring records there have been individual Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons that have survived for more than 15 years.
How Fast Can A Rock Dove Fly?
The average speed a Rock Dove achieves when flying is around 50 to 60 mph (80 to 96 km/h). However, they can attain a top speed of around 92 mph (148 km/h) if they feel threatened by a large bird of prey for example.
Rock Doves also have the ability to change direction suddenly when in flight to evade predators.
Are Rock Doves Aggressive?
Whilst not considered to be aggressive birds, Rock Doves can display aggressive tendencies towards others of their species especially when breeding or nesting. They can also exhibit aggressive behaviour to any intruder that strays too close to their nest.
When not guarding their nest or chicks, Rock Doves are social birds and usually breed and roost in large groups.
What Is A Rock Dove’s Habitat?
Wild Rock Doves prefer rocky coasts and can be seen on rocky islands, on cliff ledges, in sea caves as well as open shrublands. Feral Pigeons can be found in cities and towns on tower blocks, window sills, bridges, gardens, parks, grassland, moorland, heathland, wetlands and woodlands.
How Long Does It Take For A Rock Dove To Build A Nest?
WIld Rock Doves make their nests in rock crevices along cliff edges whereas Feral Pigeons tend to build nests in crevices in buildings high above the ground to mimic their wild relatives.
The nest can take anywhere between 2 to 14 days to be completed and is dependent on a number of factors including; the availability of nest building materials, weather conditions and the experience of the bird.
Male Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons select the site for the nest and bring the female building materials one piece at a time. The female will construct the nest according to her preferences.
Eggs
Once the nest has been constructed to the satisfaction of the female, she will lay her eggs.
When Do Rock Doves Lay Eggs?
Rock Doves can breed all year round in the UK but the main egg laying time is between March to July. If the weather warms up early or there is some late autumn sunshine with warmer temperatures, Rock Doves will start to lay eggs again.
How Many Eggs Does A Rock Dove Lay?
The female will typically lay 1 to 3 eggs with an average clutch containing 2 eggs. She will lay one egg per day until she has laid a total of 2 or 3 eggs.
What Do Rock Dove Eggs Look Like?
The eggs are pure white in colour with no blotches or spots. They are smooth, oval shaped 39 x 29 mm in size and weigh around 17 to 18 grams.
How Long Do Rock Dove Eggs Take To Hatch?
The eggs are incubated by both parents for around 16 to 19 days before they hatch. Rock Doves form monogamous pairs and can breed throughout the year.
They can produce multiple broods each year, in some cases they can produce as many as 5 or even 6 broods in the course of a year.
Chicks
Rock Dove chicks are known as squabs and typically hatch after 18 to 19 days of incubation.
How Many Chicks Does A Rock Dove Have?
A typical Rock Dove will produce around 2 eggs per brood and can have 5 or even 6 broods each year. Both parents feed the young squabs on a substance known as crop milk.
This is produced in a section of Rock Doves lower oesophagus which is known as the crop. This is the area where food is stored after eating but before it is digested.
It is not milk in the usual sense of the word as it doesn’t originate from a mammary gland.
When Do Rock Dove Chicks Open Their Eyes?
When they hatch, the squabs are naked, blind and rely on their parents for everything. Their parents regulate their temperature using their own bodies as heaters. They also feed the squabs on crop milk and the squabs open their eyes around 3 to 4 days after hatching.
When Do Rock Dove Chicks Fledge?
The young squabs spend the first few weeks of their lives developing and growing in size and strength. They typically fledge the nest around 4 to 6 weeks after hatching.
Rock Doves at different locations tend to fledge at different times but all within that 4 to 6 week period.
SEE ALSO: Turtle Dove Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements
Frequently Asked Questions
The average lifespan of a Rock Dove is around 3 to 5 years with wild Rock Doves. Whereas their city dwelling cousins the Feral Pigeon has an average life expectancy of around 7 years. However there have been individual birds that have survived for more than 15 years according to ring records.
Rock Dove eggs are pure white with no blemishes. They are approximately 39 x 29 mm in size and weigh around 17 to 18 grams.
The only reliable way to tell the difference between a rock dove and a feral pigeon is by location. Rock Doves are only found in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on rocky coasts and can be seen on rocky islands, on cliff ledges, in sea caves as well as open shrublands. Feral Pigeons can be found in cities and towns on tower blocks, window sills, bridges, gardens, parks, grassland, moorland, heathland, wetlands and woodlands.
