How long do rock pigeons live?

Longevity records come from birds that were marked and later found again, usually through bird banding, or from birds kept in zoos. They show what a Rock Pigeon can survive to, not what most do. This one comes from captivity, where there are no predators, storms or food shortages, so wild rock pigeons rarely come close.

For small birds, the first year is the hardest. Many eggs and nestlings are lost to predators and weather, and young birds that leave the nest still have to learn to find food and avoid hawks and cats. A bird that survives its first winter has a much better chance of living several more years. That is why average lifespans in the wild are short even when the record is long.

Rock pigeons usually start breeding at about 5 months old. Each season a pair lays 1–3 eggs and raises Up to 6 per season, with eggs taking 17–19 days to hatch.

Oldest recorded ages for other pigeons and doves on this site.

• Mourning Dove31.3 years
• White-winged Dove25 years
• Band-tailed Pigeon18.5 years
• Eurasian Collared-Dove17.9 years
• Inca Dove13.3 years

• Rock Pigeon: identification, diet and range
• Baby rock pigeons: eggs, nestlings and fledglings