{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "pigeon",
  "name": "Pigeon",
  "scientificName": "Columba livia",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The pigeon (Columba livia), also called the rock dove, is a familiar grey city bird found on every continent except Antarctica. Descended from wild cliff-dwelling doves, it weighs 300 to 500 g and can fly at 90 km/h (56 mph), even faster when racing. Pigeons are famed for an extraordinary homing sense that lets them navigate back over hundreds of miles, and they are listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Columbiformes",
    "family": "Columbidae",
    "genus": "Columba"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.4,
    "lengthM": 0.35,
    "topSpeedKmh": 90,
    "lifespanYears": 15
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Columba livia"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Granivore (seeds, grain, scraps)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Cities, cliffs, farmland worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "3–5 years wild (up to 15)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "300–500 g (11–18 oz)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "90 km/h (56 mph), faster when racing"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "The wild rock dove is native to Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia; feral pigeons now live in cities on every continent except Antarctica.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "Asia",
      "Africa"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Columba livia.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Columba%20livia&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Columba livia. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Columba_livia/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Pigeon.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_dove"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pigeon/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pigeon/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}