Also contributing to a pigeon's shorter life span in the wild is that its primary habitat is urban areas. How long do pigeons live? While it's true that birds can and do live for quite a long time, some live longer than others. How Long Do Pigeons Live. The Birmingham Roller is a very popular breed of domesticated pigeon that originated in Birmingham, England, where they were developed via selective breeding, for their ability to do rapid backward somersaults while flying. According to the New York Times, the oldest known wild bird in the United States, is an albatross. Racing pigeons often mate for life, with … Source(s): https://shrink.im/a9eN8. In the wild a doves average lifespan is one-and-a-half years. the average life expectancy may be as little as two years. A Rock Pigeon's life span is anywhere from 3–5 years in the wild to 15 years in captivity, though longer-lived specimens have been reported. SARATH C. 1 decade ago. A 10-year study carried out by Oxford University concluded that pigeons use roads and motorways to navigate, in some cases even changing direction at motorway junctions. To put that into perspective wild or feral pigeons, like the ones you see in town centres, have a life-span of three to four years. The true messenger pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. However, I don't know if my feral flock pigeons will be able to live as long as a pet. Dr. Roger Lederer. This amazing feat does not just apply to ‘racing’ or ‘homing’ pigeons; all pigeons have the ability to return to their roost. I have few bloodlines,pigeons from one bloodline do cross 25 years old mark. I don't know about wood/Stock doves in particular but fancy pigeons can live upto 25 years. The most notable predator that preys on pigeons in the wild is the peregrine falcon. However the reckognize me,the same flock comes to my yard and garden, I feed them, they also eat from bird feeder in my yard. They face many dangers from an early age and they’re also prone to contagious diseases such as “canker.” In captivity a dove can live for around 20 years, which goes to show how detrimental the outside world can be for these wild birds. For small birds, such as migratory songbirds (warblers, vireos, etc.) Racing pigeons, if well looked after, can live for upwards of twenty years. 2.How long does a bird live? And I'm sure its something that's gotta do with genetic make up of the birds,from the same species.. November 17, 2015 April 16, 2018 by Dr. Roger Lederer. The three Western European Columba pigeons, common wood pigeon, stock dove, and rock pigeon, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the common wood pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size at 38–44.5 cm (15.0–17.5 in) and weight 300–615 g (10.6–21.7 oz), and the white on its neck and wing. Technically the whole flock is wild and the pigeons aren't really "my" birds. Birds like budgies and cockatiels, for example, can live for up to 20 years in captivity provided that their needs are met and they are well cared for. Question 7 – How Long do Doves Live For? How Long Do Birds Live? As the name suggests and as also mentioned by Wendell Levi in his book The Pigeon, this breed was developed in and around the City of Birmingham in England. 0 0. A domesticated pigeon, however, is able to live up to five times longer than its wild counterpart because it is safe from predators. A: In very general terms, the larger a bird is, the longer its life expectancy. 10 Comments. Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons, are pigeons that are descended from the domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast. The rock dove has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally return to its nest (it is believed) using magnetoreception.