Species:

Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)

Rock Dove (Columba livia)

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Length (cm):
20-22
31-34
Wingspan (cm):
54-60
63-70
Weight (gram):
76-125
230-370
Size group:
Thrush-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Only swift in the region with white underparts divided by breastband. Upperparts brown. Distinctly bigger than Swift, with robust build and powerful flight. Tail short with rather shallow fork. Wing-action slower than Swift, with each beat discernible. May give Hobby-like impression at a distance .

Sound:

Seldom heard except in breeding season. Call a long, hard, trilling note, reminiscent of Temminck's Stint . Also a short, cut-off pju pju pju used as alarm call.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Fernand DEROUSSEN, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Clearly smaller than Wood Pigeon. Plumage highly variable, and some morphs quite similar to Stock Dove. Differs from latter in complete dark wingbars on secondary coverts (not only inner coverts). Back light grey, contrasting with darker grey neck and head. Often with white patch at lower back, but not always. Underside of wings very pale, and dark trailing edge of tail fairly narrow. Lacks Wood Pigeon's white wing-patches. Feral Pigeon is the same species as Rock Dove. The existance of a population of pure wild Rock Doves without any mixed genes from feral populations anywhere in the world is debateable. There are many traits that can determine a bird as feral (like asymmetrical pigmentation), but birds with "classic" wild Rock Dove plumage also exists in the feral populations.

Sound:

Not loud. Song a two-syllable, but continuous cooing. First a rolling ascending "orrrrrr" immediately followed by a short descending "oohh". Wings produce a quite audible whistling sound.

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Albert Lastukhin, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Swallow-like
Silhouette
Pigeons
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file