A medium-size compact pigeon with long wings and a short tail ... Adult male: metallic green and purple iridescence on the neck and breast; iris orange to red; orbital skin blue-gray; bill ...

Wings make a loud clapping sound when flushed. Polytypic. Length 14.5". Larger, with a longer tail than a rock pigeon ... and with less iridescent green. Juvenile: paler than the adults, with ...

Homing pigeons – a type of domestic pigeon descended from the rock pigeon – are extremely effective messengers because of their innate homing abilities, enabling them to return to their nest ...