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Rock Pigeon Index Was About 2.8 Times Its Earlier Level and Still Rising Recently in India

Rock dove at IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
Conservation · Population & status

The 2025 interim update from State of India’s Birds reported revised national numerical estimates for rock pigeon (Columba livia) in India. The numerical update was released on 6 May 2026.

The long-term numerical trend was estimated at +177.1%. In practical terms, the reporting-based abundance index was about 2.8 times its earlier level. The current annual estimate was +2.1% per year. Both updated estimates clearly supported an increase. The species page retains the 2023 categories Rapid Increase for the long-term trend and Increase for the current annual trend.

The species’ modelled distribution range in India was estimated at 2,674,079 km². State of India’s Birds describes the rock pigeon as resident, without clear habitat specialization and non-endemic to India, and retains it in the Low conservation-priority category.

The interim release updated numerical range and trend estimates for 942 previously assessed bird species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025. The trend values describe change in a reporting-based abundance index rather than direct counts of individual birds. The conservation categories from the 2023 assessment were not recalculated.

Sources and image credit

  1. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). State of India’s Birds: Range, trends, and conservation status – 2025 interim update (Version 2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20036633Primary 2026 release, created 6 May 2026. The update recalculated numerical distribution range size, long-term trend and current annual trend values for 942 species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025.
  2. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) factsheet: 2025 update.Species factsheet reporting a national long-term trend of +177.10% (95% CI +155.33 to +200.34), a current annual trend of +2.07% (+1.49 to +2.65), and an estimated distribution range of 2,674,079 km².

Image: ADARSHluck (Adarsh Patel) / Wikimedia Commons — rock dove (Columba livia) photographed at IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India, 23 June 2021. Representative species image, not linked to the national trend analysis. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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