Speckled pigeon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Speckled pigeon
Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Columba
Species:	guinea

The speckled pigeon (Columba guinea) is also known as the African rock pigeon or Guinea pigeon. It's a type of pigeon that lives and breeds in many parts of Africa south of the Sahara desert. You can often find this bird in open areas across its home range. It's called the Guinea pigeon because its colors are similar to some types of guineafowl.

How Scientists Classify Them

In 1747, a British scientist named George Edwards wrote about the speckled pigeon. He drew pictures of two live birds he saw in London. He was told these pigeons came from a place called Guinea in West Africa.

Later, in 1758, a Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus gave the speckled pigeon its scientific name, Columba guinea. He put it in the genus Columba with other pigeons. This is how scientists organize living things into groups.

Different Types of Speckled Pigeons

There are two main types, or subspecies, of speckled pigeons:

• C. g. guinea (named by Linnaeus in 1758): These pigeons live from Mauritania to Ethiopia. They also live south to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Malawi.
• C. g. phaeonota (named by Gray in 1856): These pigeons are found from southwestern Angola to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

A special nest box for Columba guinea built into a wall in Zerfenti, (Ethiopia)

What They Look Like

This is a large pigeon, about 41 centimeters (16 inches) long. Its back and wings are a reddish-brown color. The wings have many white spots, like speckles. The rest of its body, including its belly, is blue-grey.

Its head is grey, and it has red patches around its eyes. The neck is brownish with white streaks. Its legs are red. Male and female pigeons look very similar. Young pigeons are browner than adults and do not have the red eye patches yet. When it calls, it makes a loud "doo-doo-doo" sound.

Life and Habits

You can often see speckled pigeons near people's homes and farms. They usually eat plants, especially grains or groundnuts. They often gather in large groups where there is plenty of food.

These pigeons build big nests out of sticks. They like to build them on safe, rocky places. In cities, they often build nests on covered pillars or on flat roofs under deep eaves. The female pigeon lays two white eggs. When they fly, their flight is fast. They beat their wings regularly and sometimes give a sharp flick, which is common for pigeons.

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  C. g. guinea near Lake Baringo, Kenya

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  C. g. bradfieldi in Damaraland, Namibia

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  C. g. phaeonota with a chick in its nest in Cape Town, South Africa.

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  Speckled pigeon eggs from the Collection Museum Wiesbaden