A Short Essay on the Evolutionary Clues in Stock- and Rock-Pigeons

Department of Biology, Cantonment Public College, Saidpur Cantonment—5311, Nilphamari, Bangladesh

*Corresponding author: Ashraful Kabir, Department of Biology, Cantonment Public College, Saidpur Cantonment—5311, Nilphamari, Bangladesh, Phone: +88-01712563750; E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: July 21, 2025

Published Date: September 17, 2025

Citation: Kabir A. (2025). A Short Essay on the Evolutionary Clues in Stock- and Rock-Pigeons. Mathews J Vet Sci. 9(6):82.

Copyrights: Kabir A. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Rock-pigeons are common all over the world. It has many subspecies and similar type of different species and breeds as well. As similarity with a wild species, stock-pigeon is one of them. As a successful and diverse group of birds, rock-pigeons have more significance than other wild birds. Through this report, it is clear that rock-pigeons and their similar different species could be an interesting part and parcel to enhance the study of evolution.

Keywords: Pigeons, Wild Birds, Evolutionary Biology.

EVOLUTIONARY CLUES BETWEEN TWO COMMON WILD PIGEONS

Charles Robert Darwin and many other researchers mentioned the rock-pigeons are the ancestor of all fancy pigeons of the world. Blue plumage and two black bars on the wings are very common in many fancy pigeons and some wild species too. Phylogenetic tree could focus many connecting links of pigeons. In the field of ‘Evolutionary Biology’ pigeons are really noteworthy bird. Phenotypic appearances seem that from the stock-pigeons (Columba oenas), the rock-pigeons (C. livia) had been evolved but some studies say different. Considering a single point wing-bar, in the case of stock-pigeons this is incomplete or obscure but in rock-pigeons this is very prominent. Two narrow dark-bar on the inner wings, the bill is grey-buff with an off-white patch at the base, and legs are bright pinkish-red in stock-pigeons. They make nest in tree holes and usually solitary during the breeding season. The body of stock-pigeon is slender [1]. Actually, these two pigeons are differed only on their eye- and beak-color, and wing-bar, others are more or less same (Table 1; Figures 1-2).

Table 1. Evolutionary ingredients in stock- and rock-pigeons

Figure 1. Stock-pigeon [4].

Figure 2. Rock-pigeon [5].

REFERENCES

1. Collins W. (2016). Collin’s Life-size Birds. Harper Collins Publishers. 448 pp.
2. Gibbs D, Barnes E, Cox J. (2016). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, London. 615 pp. 
3. Kabir A. (2023). Colours and patterns in the subspecies of rock-pigeons (Columbiformes: Columbidae). The Pigeon Genetics Newsletter, News, Views & Comments. June 2023 issue. 3-14 pp.
4. Stock pigeon. Available at: https://trogtrogblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/bird-of-week-stock-dove.html
5. Rock pigeon. Available at: https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/rock-dove