Rock Dove

The wild rock dove is a compact pigeon 29–37 cm long with pale blue-grey plumage, two black wing bars, a dark tail band and iridescent green and purple on the neck. Domestic and feral descendants may be white, black, red, pied or chequered, so colour alone does not identify genuinely wild stock. Broad pointed wings and direct powerful flight are characteristic of all forms (Wikipedia, general species account).

Natural rock doves nest and roost on cliffs and in gorges, while feral pigeons use buildings, bridges and other artificial ledges worldwide. They forage on the ground for seeds and grain, with urban birds also eating discarded human food. A crude twig nest holds two white eggs, incubated by both adults for 17–19 days. Parents feed chicks nutrient-rich crop milk. Most Vietnamese city pigeons are domestic-derived feral birds rather than pristine wild populations (Wikipedia, general species account).