Common Wood Pigeon
Columba palumbus
The three Western European Columba pigeons, common wood pigeon, stock dove and rock dove, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the common wood pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size at 38–44.5 cm (15–17+1⁄2 in) and weight 300–615 g (10+5⁄8–21+3⁄4 oz), and the white on its neck and wing. It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast. The wingspan can range from 68 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in) and the wing chord measures 24 to 25.4 cm (9+1⁄2 to 10 in). The tail measures 13.8 to 15 cm (5+1⁄2 to 6 in), the bill is 1.9 to 2. Voice: The call of the wood pigeon is a monotonous five-syllable characteristic cooing phrase, "oooh, oooh, ooh, ooooh, ooh", usually repeated several times. In Ireland and the UK, the traditional mnemonic for this repeated cooing phrase has been interpreted as "Take two cows, Teddy", or "Take two cows, Taffy".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rock Dove
Columba livia
Millennia of domestication have greatly altered the rock dove in many regions. Domestic and Feral pigeons, which arose through selective breeding, not originating naturally, have significant variation in plumage from the natural wild birds. This wild type is endangered in many areas; the nominate subspecies C. l. livia persists most notably in the far north and west of Scotland, most strongly so in the Outer Hebrides. The adult of the nominate subspecies of the rock dove is 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) long with a 62 to 68 cm (24 to 27 in) wingspan. Voice: The call is a soft, slightly wavering, coo "crruoo-u", similar to feral pigeons. Variations include an alarm call, a nest call, and noises made by juveniles. When displaying, songs are partly sexual, partly threatening. They are accompanied by an inflated throat, tail fanning, strutting, and bowing. The alarm call, given at sight of predators, is a grunt-like oorhh.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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