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Definition of rock pigeon
rock pigeon
Plural:rock pigeons
• noun
1
A widespread, stout-bodied bird of the family Columbidae, native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Characterized by bluish-gray plumage and a habit of nesting on sea cliffs or building ledges, it is the wild ancestor of domestic and urban feral pigeons found globally.
Example
"The ornithologist explained that the familiar feral birds scavenging in city squares worldwide are actually descendants of the wild rock pigeon, which originally nested in coastal cliff crevices."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for rock pigeon• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Rock pigeon. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/rock%20pigeon