Collared Dove or Feral Pigeon?

These two get mixed up constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from each bird's own page.

Illustration of a collared dove

Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Feral pigeons are heavily built and endlessly variable — grey, black, white, chequered, russet — with a short tail and no neck collar. A collared dove is always the same pale sandy colour with a long white-cornered tail.

Illustration of a feral pigeon

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia

A collared dove is much slimmer, uniformly pale sandy-buff, with a narrow black half-collar on the back of the neck and a long tail with broad white corners. A feral pigeon is stockier, grey-based, and never shows that thin black neck line.

Side by side

Collared DoveFeral Pigeon
Size About 32cm — clearly smaller and much slimmer than a woodpigeon, with a longer tail. Around 32cm, noticeably smaller and neater than a woodpigeon, with a shorter tail and a more compact head.
Where you'll see it On rooftops, aerials and wires, and on the ground below feeders; often two together. Roofs, ledges, walls, gutters, paving and lawns, and under feeders picking up spilt seed.
What it eats Seeds and grain taken from the ground, plus some buds, shoots and berries. Seeds, grain and scraps taken from the ground; spilt sunflower hearts and dropped bread in towns.
When Resident all year; BTO notes that given favourable weather it may nest in any month of the year. Resident all year, and one of very few UK birds that can raise young in any month if food is steady.
Status Green listed Not assessed as a separate species. BTO BirdFacts covers Feral Pigeon under Rock Dove (Columba livia), which is "Green listed" on UK Birds of Conservation Concern and "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List.

Still not sure? Describe what you saw and we will rank every garden bird against it — including these two.

Both descriptions are taken from the species pages, which cite the BTO and RSPB. Reviewed 2026-09-20.