DISSEMINATION
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DISSEMINATION |
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| Kingdom | Animalia | 
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| Phylum | Chordata | |
| Class | Aves | |
| Order | Columbiformes | |
| Family | Columbidae | |
| Genus | Columba | |
| Species | livia | |
| Classification | J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | |
| Common name | rock pigeon | |
| Size | 30 - 35 centimeters | |
| Wing Span | 63 - 70 centimeters | |
| Male weight | 230 - 370 grams |
| Geographic Range | it is a native of Asia, Africa, Europe and Middle East; it is widespread all over the world. |
| Physical Characteristics | it has violet iridescent feathers, green and yellow on the neck. The male and the female look alike, but male is more iridescent on the neck than the female. Adults have orange-reddish eyes, while young that are less than 6-8 months old have brown eyes. The colour of the paws ranges from red to grey. Feathers and plumage can have different colours (chestnut, black, white). The bill is dark, the head, the neck and the upper part of the breast are dark grey. The back, the wings, the belly are light grey. Wings have two dark bars formed from the dark tips of the secondaries. |
| Behaviour | both the male and the female produce a special substance called "pigeon milk" with which they feed their young during the first week of life; it is produced in a part of their digestive system. When the young are one week old, parents begin to regurgitate some seeds together with milk: in this way seeds begin to substitute milk in the diet of the pigeons. It has a very good sight and it can see both colours and ultraviolet light. It can hear very low frequency sounds. They are monogamous and the pair remains the same all life long. |
| Habitat | cities, villages; it occupies rocky and building hollows. |
| Food habits | seeds, insects, grass. |
| Nidification | it usually builds its nest on covered building projections (for example roofs), using small twigs. The male brings to the female the material necessary to the nest-building one piece after the other, and the female builds the nest. The female usually lays two white eggs and can have up to 4-5 clutches. Parents take turns during the incubation of the eggs: the male usually remains in the nest during the day, the female at night. Eggs hatch after about 20 days and young are fledged after 25 days. |
| Sources | |
| References | Cornell Lab of Ornithology USDA - Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Web References | http://birds.cornell.edu/ http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/ |
| Source of the photo | http://persweb.direct.ca/blevins/rockdove.htm |
| Source of the call | http://birds.cornell.edu/ |
| Source of the video | http://www.rspb.org.uk/ |
Columba
livia
