Feral pigeon
A free-living pigeon descended from domesticated rock doves. Feral pigeons thrive in cities and other human-modified environments.
Rock dove: A pigeon species native to cliffs and rocky habitats across parts of Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Feral pigeons descend from domesticated rock doves, whose cliff-nesting habits suit city buildings.
Cliff-nesting: The use of ledges and sheltered rock faces as nesting sites by birds. Building ledges and bridges provide urban equivalents of the cliffs used by ancestral rock doves.
Pigeon domestication: The long process by which people bred and kept rock doves for food, communication, sport, and ornament. It created the domestic ancestors of feral pigeons.
Pigeon post: A communication system that uses trained pigeons to carry messages between locations. It is one historical use of domestic pigeons that shaped their relationship with cities.
Pigeon droppings: The feces of pigeons, which can stain surfaces and accumulate around roosting sites. Large roosts can create costly cleaning and building-maintenance problems.
Columbidae: The bird family that includes pigeons and doves, characterized by stout bodies and distinctive water-drinking behavior. The feral pigeon belongs to this family of birds.
Pigeon navigation: The ability of pigeons to orient and return over long distances using multiple environmental cues. Navigation helps explain the homing ability retained in descendants of domestic pigeons.
Rock dove distribution: The native geographic range of rock doves, centered on Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. The species' native range helps distinguish ancestral populations from pigeons spread by people.
Pigeon racing: A competitive sport in which trained pigeons race back to their home lofts. Racing sustains domestic pigeon populations that can sometimes join feral flocks.
Cryptococcosis: An infection caused by fungi in the genus Cryptococcus, usually acquired by inhaling environmental spores. Accumulated pigeon droppings can support fungal growth, though ordinary contact is not the typical route of infection.