Feral pigeon
Domestic pigeons returned to the wild / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica or Columba livia forma urbana), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons,[1][2] are descendants of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) that have returned to the wild.[3] The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains.[4] Rock, domestic, and feral pigeons are all the same species and will readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, have become adapted to urban life, and are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.[5]
Owing to their capacity to create large amounts of excrement and be an occasional disease vector to humans combined with crop and property damage, pigeons are largely considered a nuisance and an invasive species, often disparagingly referred to as "rats with wings".[6][7][8] Actions are taken in many municipalities to lower their numbers or completely eradicate them.[1][2][9][10][11][12]