Rock Pigeon (Rock Dove; Domestic Pigeon)

Columba livia

General Status Rank: 
Vagrant
Common Name: 
Rock Pigeon (Rock Dove; Domestic Pigeon)
Scientific Name: 
Columba livia
Naming References: 
Taxonomy
Group: 
Bird
Kingdom: 
Animalia
Phylum: 
Chordata
Class: 
Aves
Order: 
Columbiformes
Family: 
Columbidae
Distribution

Ecozones

Boreal Plains
References: 

Distribution

Fort Smith
Score: 
E
References: 
Winter Distribution Description: 
winters in NWT and N. Alberta

Number of Occurrences

5 seen at Prelude Lake access by Craig Machtans on April 22, 2000 and 3 seen in Yellowknife on Nov.28, 1979 (published in the Blue Jay) (W113 2012.Accessed: Date January 25, 2015); Accidental. Two Rock Pigeons photographed near Hay River in July 2016 (Visniowski 2016) are believed to be the only documented natural occurrence. The closest established breeding population is in Fort McMurray in northern Alberta approximately 500 km to the southeast (eBird 2012). Sirois and McRae (1996) referenced a “small resident population” in Fort Smith, but such a population is no longer extant and no further information is available on it. Birds recorded periodically in Yellowknife are presumed to be local escapes from captivity. References eBird. 2012. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: 30 October 2016). Sirois, J. and D. McRae. 1996. A Miniguide to a Megaterritory and a Checklist: The Birds of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Second Edition. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. Visniowski, G. 2016. Pers. comm.
Score: 
A
References: 

Historical Distribution

Introduced
References: 

Area of Occupancy

Increased, introduced in Fort Smith during last decade
Score: 
-
Threats

Intrinsic Vulnerability

Score: 
-
General Status Rank
Rank: 
Vagrant
Status Rank Description: 
1996 Checklist, mentions a small population in Fort Smith, no recent records from there; YK sightings are believed to be escapes from captivity
S Rank: 
SNA
Decision Process Description: 
Reviewed in 2005 by ENR, no change in status; Reviewed in 2010;no change ; Reviewed by Check list group (D Britton, C Eckert, D tate, R. Pankratz, S Carriere) 2016: Not assessed (deleted from vagrant list); Reviewed in 2020 by Amélie Roberto-Charron, modified from not assessed to vagrant based on new information.
Last Updated: 
September 17, 2020

References

Ecozones

  • Carrière, S. (2000) Pers. communication. Ecosystem Management Biologist; RWED - H126 Return

Historical Distribution

  • Carrière, S. (2000) Pers. communication. Ecosystem Management Biologist; RWED - H126 Return

Naming

  • AOU (2003) Forty-fourth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union check-list of North American birds.. AUK 120:923-931 - ASC6 Return

Number of Occurrences

  • Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada (2015) http://ebird.org/content/canada/ - W113 Return
  • CWS (2014) CWS Unpublished Data - DD15 Return

Range Extent

  • Carrière, S. (2000) Pers. communication. Ecosystem Management Biologist; RWED - H126 Return