Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon has fallen sharply: down 54% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Rock Pigeon
The familiar city pigeon, introduced from Europe, the Rock Pigeon nests on ledges and buildings and is one of the most recognizable birds worldwide.
- Size
- 12–14.5 in long, about 12.3 oz (30–37 cm, 350 g)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain and urban food scraps.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,122 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Columbidae · Generalists
- Conservation
- Least Concern (introduced)
Notable Rock Pigeon Trends
Rock Pigeon has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 54% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Rock Pigeon Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Rock Pigeon is projected to fall about 32% by 2029 — from 4.0 in 2024 to a central estimate of 2.8 (95% range 1.1–4.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±12.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 4.8 |
| 2026 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 4.7 |
| 2027 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 4.6 |
| 2028 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 4.5 |
| 2029 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 4.4 |
Where the Rock Pigeon Is Detected
BBS routes recording Rock Pigeon, sized by most recent count.
Rock Pigeon Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -62% | 1968 | 87 |
| Alaska | -84% | 1973 | 8 |
| Arizona | +211% | 1971 | 37 |
| Arkansas | +3% | 1969 | 38 |
| California | +39% | 1970 | 161 |
| Colorado | -35% | 1970 | 93 |
| Connecticut | -92% | 1968 | 18 |
| Delaware | +20% | 1968 | 17 |
| Florida | +53% | 1968 | 86 |
| Georgia | -24% | 1968 | 84 |
| Idaho | -10% | 1970 | 40 |
| Illinois | -71% | 1968 | 105 |
| Indiana | -10% | 1968 | 67 |
| Iowa | -58% | 1969 | 39 |
| Kansas | +24% | 1969 | 63 |
| Kentucky | -52% | 1968 | 57 |
| Louisiana | -78% | 1969 | 68 |
| Maine | +246% | 1968 | 54 |
| Maryland | -59% | 1968 | 75 |
| Massachusetts | -57% | 1968 | 29 |
| Michigan | -40% | 1968 | 92 |
| Minnesota | -22% | 1969 | 77 |
| Mississippi | -67% | 1968 | 39 |
| Missouri | -67% | 1969 | 84 |
| Montana | +272% | 1970 | 89 |
| Nebraska | -47% | 1969 | 62 |
| Nevada | +14% | 1990 | 16 |
| New Hampshire | -39% | 1968 | 22 |
| New Jersey | -57% | 1968 | 40 |
| New Mexico | -8% | 1970 | 40 |
| New York | -37% | 1968 | 124 |
| North Carolina | +5% | 1968 | 82 |
| North Dakota | +327% | 1969 | 51 |
| Ohio | -58% | 1968 | 86 |
| Oklahoma | -13% | 1969 | 58 |
| Oregon | +53% | 1970 | 71 |
| Pennsylvania | -62% | 1968 | 130 |
| Rhode Island | -74% | 1969 | 4 |
| South Carolina | -70% | 1968 | 34 |
| South Dakota | +46% | 1969 | 56 |
| Tennessee | -69% | 1968 | 46 |
| Texas | -41% | 1969 | 177 |
| Utah | +93% | 1974 | 32 |
| Vermont | +15% | 1968 | 26 |
| Virginia | -66% | 1968 | 65 |
| Washington | +317% | 1970 | 82 |
| West Virginia | -67% | 1968 | 56 |
| Wisconsin | -28% | 1968 | 92 |
| Wyoming | -59% | 1970 | 63 |
Rock Pigeon Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Rock Pigeon Conservation Status
Least Concern (introduced)
A species introduced to North America; the IUCN Red List rates it as Least Concern in its native range. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 54% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.