Rock Dove

Identification

The Rock Dove is the wild ancestor of every city pigeon, and the genuine wild form is a far smarter-looking bird than the feral swarm it produced. Classic wild-type birds are blue-grey from crown to tail, with two hard black bars across the folded wing, an iridescent green-and-magenta sheen on the sides of the neck, and — the clincher — a blazing white patch on the lower back that flashes the moment the bird opens its wings. The tail ends in a dark band. Feral birds, unfortunately, come in chequered, rusty, pied and near-black varieties, but most still show the white rump patch and at least a trace of the wing bars.

Rock Doves are sociable to the point of being inseparable from their flocks, feeding on the ground in loose, shuffling groups and taking grain, weed seeds and anything edible people leave behind. Courtship is a set piece: the male bows, inflates the neck, fans the tail and walks in tight circles around the female while uttering the rolling coo. They breed throughout the year wherever food allows, and a pair can raise four or five broods, which is precisely why the species thrives on every continent except Antarctica.

For most people the Rock Dove is the easiest bird in the world to see — squares, station roofs, harbour walls and motorway bridges all qualify. To see the real thing, though, head for sea cliffs and rocky coasts in Scotland, the Mediterranean or North Africa, where wild-type plumage is the norm rather than the exception. Early morning is the best time to catch them feeding on the ground before the day's traffic builds up.