Scientific Name: Columba livia
Malay Name: Merpati Biasa
Chinese Name: 原鸽
Alternative Name(s): Rock Pigeon, Common Pigeon
Range: Found from North Africa to Palearctic, Middle East, Indian subcontinent and northern China with feral populations worldwide
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: livia, gymnocycla, targia, dakhlae, schimperi, palaestinae, gaddi, neglecta, intermedia.
Size: 33 cm
Identification: Adult is typically grey with noticeable darker hood and breast, blackish tail-tip and paler wing-coverts with two broad blackish bars. May also be highly variable with patches of white and brown in plumage and some are entirely blackish.
Habitat: Urban and open areas.
Behaviour/Ecology: Forages on the ground.
Local Status: Very common introduced resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2019)
Location: Housing estates, urban gardens, reclaimed lands and any suitable patch of habitat.
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Rock Pigeon)
References:
BirdLife International. (2019). Columba livia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690066A155493121.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Rock Dove. Retrieved on June 9, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/rock-dove.