Rock Dove, Rock Pigeon, Feral Pigeon

Found, banded pigeons a e usually racing (homing) pigeons blown off course during a race or during race training. Solid white birds are user instead of doves for weddings & funerals because of their ability to find their way home.

Domestic Pigeons - descendants of the wild rock pigeon of the northern hemisphere - first arrived in New Zealand with the early European settlers. Since then many birds have reverted to the wild to form the basis of a large feral population, and now live in cities throughout New Zealand. They flock in parks where people feed them, and nest on the ledges of tall buildings. In country districts they roost and breed on rocky outcrops and under bridges. They are highly gregarious and only defend the area just around the nest, and commute in tight fast-flying flocks. Normally their flight starts with a noisy flapping of wings as the bird gains height and speed. From then on their passage is swift with rapid wing-beats, often sweeping low over land and water. They walk briskly. During courtship ... read morethe male bows and circles the female with his neck arched and throat swollen.
Some feral pigeons breed when only six months old, and they lay throughout the year with a peak in spring and summer. The nest is often simply a depression in a modest pile of straw and faeces - often little more than pecking distance apart - with a clutch of two white eggs which are incubated for about 18 days by both parents - the male sitting for short periods only. Both parents feed the chicks first on 'pigeon milk' - a regurgitated cheesy substance, and later with grain softened in the parent's crop. At four weeks the young fledge, and spend another week or so in the colony before foraging with the adults. Females sometimes lay another clutch, usually in another nest, while still feeding the well grown young. Many people consider feral pigeons a nuisance, as faeces and nest material disfigure buildings, block gutters and make footpaths messy. The sexes look alike, the plumage varies from grey to red-brown to mainly white. The throat, neck and upper mantle is metallic green or purple on the adults. They have a characteristic rippling coo call.

We do not often see these around home, but did have a banded one stay a couple days. It had the same markings as the birds shown in the field guides. Beautiful. It ate from the seed on the ground and drank some water. It was a hot, hot few days. We never got close enough to it to see the numbers, but assumed it made its way back to its own home.

There are a lot more Rock Doves in the towns we visit and with greater variety of markings. I am not sure I ever saw a pure white one, but I've seen mostly white. I always find it funny how they sit on the wires and street lights directly over the roads. It is like they are wanting to mess on all those clean cars. Our car is too dirty to make much difference. A little bird doo never bothered us.