Definition

Noun: 1. A common wild pigeon species: The rock pigeon (Columba livia) is a pale grey Eurasian bird with distinctive black stripes on its wings. It is the ancestor of most domestic pigeon breeds.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • A flock of rock pigeons was feeding on the city square.
  • The rock pigeon is remarkably adaptable to urban environments.
  • Ornithologists study the rock pigeon to understand avian evolution.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific and Historical Context: The term is used in biology and history to denote the wild progenitor species, distinguishing it from its domesticated varieties (e.g., homing pigeons, fancy pigeons).
  • Darwin extensively studied rock pigeons when formulating his theories on artificial selection.

Variants and Related Words

• Rock dove: This is a common synonym for the rock pigeon, often used interchangeably.
  • The rock dove is native to coastal cliffs and mountains.
• Feral pigeon: Refers to domesticated pigeons that have returned to living wild in cities; these are descended from the rock pigeon.
  • The feral pigeons in the park are all descendants of the rock pigeon.

Synonyms

• Rock dove (): The direct synonym.
• Common pigeon: A general descriptive term.

Related Phrases

• Domestic pigeon: The domesticated form descended from the rock pigeon.
  • All domestic pigeons, from racing to fancy breeds, originate from the rock pigeon.

Noun

1. pale grey Eurasian pigeon having black-striped wings from which most domestic species are descended