The speckled pigeon, also known as the Guinea pigeon (Columba guinea), is a medium-sized pigeon, between 32 and 35 cm in length.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae |
| Genus | Columba |
| Species | Columba guinea |
The speckled pigeon, also known as the Guinea pigeon (Columba guinea), is a medium-sized pigeon, between 32 and 35 cm in length. Its back and wings are reddish, heavily speckled with white, while the upper and lower parts are bluish grey. The head is grey, with striking patches of bare red skin around the eye, and the neck is brownish with white streaking; the legs are red.
It is a resident bird that breeds across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania to South Africa. It occupies open habitats and has adapted well to human surroundings, gathering in settlements and farmland.
It feeds mainly on plant matter and seeds, and forms large flocks wherever grain or peanuts are available.
It builds a bulky nest of twigs on sheltered rocky ledges or, in urban areas, on rooftops and covered structures. The clutch consists of two white eggs.
In captivity, the Guinea pigeon can hybridise with the rock dove, producing fertile hybrid males; in fact, some breeds of domestic pigeon retain ancestry from this species.
