page_title: Rock dove
section_title: Breeding
hierarchical_section_title: Rock dove / Behavior and ecology / Breeding
caption_attribution_description: English: A pigeon incubating its eggs
context_page_description: The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon is a member of the bird family Columbidae. In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon".
  The domestic pigeon descended from this species. Escaped domestic pigeons have increased the populations of feral pigeons around the world.
  Wild rock doves are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, whereas domestic and feral pigeons vary in colour and pattern. Few differences are seen between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.
  Habitats include various open and semi-open environments. Cliffs and rock ledges are used for roosting and breeding in the wild. Originally found wild in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, pigeons have become established in cities around the world. The species is abundant, with an estimated population of 17 to 28 million feral and wild birds in Europe alone and up to 120 million worldwide.
context_section_description: The rock dove breeds at any time of the year, but peak times are spring and summer. Nesting sites are along coastal cliff faces, as well as the artificial cliff faces created by apartment buildings with accessible ledges or roof spaces.
  The nest is a flimsy platform of straw and sticks, laid on a ledge, under cover, often on the window ledges of buildings. Two white eggs are laid; incubation, shared by both parents, lasts 17 to 19 days. The newly hatched squab (nestling) has pale yellow down and a flesh-coloured bill with a dark band. For the first few days, the baby squabs are tended and fed (through regurgitation) exclusively on "crop milk" (also called "pigeon milk" or "pigeon's milk"). The pigeon milk is produced in the crops of both parents in all species of pigeons and doves. The fledging period is about 30 days.
caption: A pigeon incubating its eggs
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