Feral pigeons on the windowsill Two feral pigeons greeted me when I opened the window this morning.
Feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica), also called city dove, city pigeon, or street pigeon, is a pigeon that is derived from the domestic pigeon that has returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains. Rock (i.e., "wild"), domestic, and feral pigeons are all the same species and will readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, have become adapted to urban life, and are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.
