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What the sources say

Rock DoveColumba livia

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Rock Dove profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 39 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025

Columba livia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T22690066A281965783.

The page saysThe IUCN Red List rated the species Least Concern in its 2025 assessment.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: 2025 is the assessment year in the cited DOI; category read through GBIF copy

Source
02

Lowther & Johnston 2020

Lowther & Johnston (2020). Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). Birds of the World.

The page sayswork on orientation and navigation has depended heavily on research using domestic and feral rock pigeons
The source saysorientation and navigation, learning (the original subjects in Skinner boxes), genetics of color, pattern, behavior and other characteristics, and Darwinian evolutionary biology have depended heavily on research using domestic and feral Rock Pigeons
The page saysprolactin, a hormone (a chemical messenger in the blood), was discovered through work with pigeons
The source saysprolactin was discovered through work with pigeons
The page saysThe wild rock dove is native to Europe, North Africa, and western, southwestern, west-central and southern Asia
The source saysWild Rock Pigeons, native to Europe, North Africa, and western, southwestern, west-central, and southern Asia, gave rise to domestics as a result of artificial selection by humans
The page saysDomestic pigeons descend from it
The source saysgave rise to domestics as a result of artificial selection by humans
The page saysWild rock pigeons gave rise to domestic pigeons through selection by humans, and domestic birds readily go feral
The source saysgave rise to domestics as a result of artificial selection by humans ( Darwin 1868 Darwin, C. (1868). The variation of animals and plants under domestication. Vol. 1. London: John Murray. Close ). Domestics readily go feralNote: quote spans an inline citation; the sentence is continuous on the page
The page saysDomestic and feral pigeons are among the most intensively studied of all birds
The source saysDomestic and feral pigeons are among the most intensively studied of all birds.
The page saysIn North America the rock pigeon itself is now feral and lives broadly on the continent
The source saysthe Rock Pigeon (formerly the Rock Dove) is now feral and lives broadly on the continentNote: faq 3: feral birds are the same species

Source
03

Smith et al. 2022

Smith et al. (2022). Limited domestic introgression in a final refuge of the wild pigeon. iScience.

The page saysthe wild pattern keeps turning up in feral birds
The source saysThe “wildtype” plumage of the Rock Dove regularly manifests in feral domestic pigeons, hindering the discrimination of the two forms at an individual level
The page saysA 2022 genetic study of rock doves in the British Isles found the Outer Hebrides populations had the least gene flow with domestic pigeons
The source saysOuter Hebridean populations experience the least gene flow with domestic pigeonsNote: 2022 is the paper's year (reference list)

Source
04

Audubon Guide to North American Birds

Rock Pigeon. Audubon Guide to North American Birds.

The page saysfed on "pigeon milk" as a chick
The source saysBoth parents feed young "pigeon milk."Note: tagline
The page saysin its trained homing form able to find its way back to the loft from far away
The source saystrained homing pigeons can return to home loft from long distances awayNote: tagline; trained homing pigeons are domestic, as the body says
The page saysA cliff bird turned city bird
The source saysNatural sites are on sheltered cliff ledges. In cities and around human dwellings, uses artificial replacements such as window ledges of tall buildingsNote: tagline
The page saysCoastal and inland cliffs and gorges in its native range, and cities, farms and bridges across the world
The source saysIn native range, nested on cliffs along coast and in inland mountains and gorges.Note: stats.habitat
The page sayscities, farms and bridges across the world
The source saysSustains itself in the wild around cities, farms, cliffs, bridges.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysMostly seeds
The source saysMostly seeds.Note: stats.diet
The page saysin cities it may live largely on bread crumbs and popcorn
The source saysIn cities, may live largely on bread crumbs, popcorn, or other junk food provided by humans.Note: stats.diet
The page saysHoming: trained pigeons can return to their home loft from long distances away
The source saystrained homing pigeons can return to home loft from long distances awayNote: stats.superpower
The page saysBoth parents feed their young "pigeon milk."
The source saysBoth parents feed young "pigeon milk."
The page saysThe chicks leave the nest at about 25 to 32 days, or later in cold weather
The source saysYoung leave nest at about 25-32 days, or later in cold weather.
The page saysa pair may raise up to 5 or more broods in a year
The source saysA pair may raise up to 5 or more broods per year.
The page saysIf displaced from its nesting area, the rock dove has good homing ability, and trained homing pigeons can return to their home loft from long distances away.
The source saysIf displaced from nesting area, has good homing ability; trained homing pigeons can return to home loft from long distances away.
The page saysPeople domesticated the species and trained it for homing, racing and carrying messages
The source saysIt has been domesticated and taken around the world, raised for food, trained for homing, racing, and carrying messages, and used in research.
The page saysnested on cliffs along coasts and in inland mountains and gorges
The source saysIn native range, nested on cliffs along coast and in inland mountains and gorges.
The page saysthe species now lives in a wild or semi-wild condition in cities all over the world, including most of North America
The source saysit now lives in a wild or semi-wild condition in cities all over the world, including most of North America
The page saysmostly seeds, with waste grain and sometimes berries away from cities
The source saysMostly seeds. Away from cities, feeds on waste grain, seeds of many grasses and other plants, sometimes berries or acorns
The page saysAn adult is about 34 cm long
The source says13 1/2" (34 cm)
The page saysA clutch is 2 eggs, sometimes 1.
The source saysEggs 2, sometimes 1.
The page saysBoth parents incubate them, for 16 to 19 days.
The source saysIncubation is by both parents, 16-19 days.
The page saysPairs may mate for life.
The source saysMay mate for life.
The page saysIn courtship the male spreads his tail, puffs up his chest and struts, often in circles around the female, repeatedly bowing and cooing.
The source saysIn courtship, male spreads tail, puffs up chest, and struts about, often strutting in circles around female, repeatedly bowing and cooing.
The page saysThe long-distance part belongs to trained homing pigeons, which are domestic birds
The source saystrained homing pigeons can return to home loft from long distances away
The page sayscity birds may live largely on bread crumbs and popcorn
The source saysIn cities, may live largely on bread crumbs, popcorn, or other junk food provided by humans.
The page saysTrained homing pigeons can return to their home loft from long distances away
The source saystrained homing pigeons can return to home loft from long distances awayNote: vibe.reason

Source
05

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database

Columba livia (rock dove). AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

The page saysAnAge gives an adult weight of 358.7 g
The source saysAdult weight 358.7 g
The page saysIn captivity, one bird reportedly lived to 35 years.
The source saysOne captive specimen reportedly lived to the age of 35
The page saysThe maximum recorded in the AnAge longevity database is 35 years, for one captive bird.
The source saysMaximum longevity 35 years (captivity)
The page saysunlike most mammals, older pigeons have larger and heavier brains than younger ones
The source saysunlike most mammals, older pigeon brains are larger and heavier when compared with their younger counterparts
The page saysweightKg: 0.36
The source saysAdult weight 358.7 gNote: battleStats.weightKg

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.