Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)

A small, soft, white body feather from a Rock Pigeon. Pigeons are stout-bodied birds with short necks and small heads. While wild types are gray with iridescent neck patches, domestic and urban varieties often exhibit 'pied' or pure white plumage.

Pure white (leucistic or white-morph coloration); lacks any banding or melanin-based spotting; appears identical on dorsal and ventral surfaces

Mixed structure: The distal tip is pennaceous (flat and interlocking) but very soft, while the majority of the feather is plumulaceous (downy and loose) for insulation

Extremely soft and silky; the surface has a matte, powdery appearance due to the specialized powder down produced by pigeons

Pure white color, high ratio of downy barbs to pennaceous tip, flexible white rachis, and a distinctive 'soft' appearance characteristic of Columbids

Highly adaptable; primary habitats include urban environments, farmyards, rocky cliffs, and bridges

Global distribution; found on every continent except Antarctica; primarily resident and non-migratory

Primary prey for urban raptors like Peregrine Falcons; also function as urban scavengers and seed dispersers

Mourning Dove (smaller, usually tan), White-winged Dove (larger, different texture), or domestic chicken (stiffer rachis)

Pigeons produce a substance called 'crop milk' to feed their young and are among the few birds capable of sucking up water rather than tilting their heads back to swallow

Good condition; freshly molted with no visible fault bars or parasite damage; slightly dusty from the substrate