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Rock pigeon vision: the science and the numbers

Columba livia · order Columbiformes · Birds: all the numbers

Pigeons have four colour channels, including violet (406.5, 453, 507 and 567 nm).[1][2] Their sharpest vision resolves 14 cycles per degree, against 63.75 for people in this dataset.[6][7] Their eyes cover about 316° with 19° seen by both eyes.[14] Pigeons stop seeing flicker at 88.5 Hz, against 60 Hz for people.[30][31]

See it on your photoBack to How do pigeons see?
  • 4colour receptor classesMeasured
  • 14cycles per degree (sharpness)Measured
  • 316°field of viewMeasured*
  • 88.5hertz flicker fusion (motion)Measured

The rock pigeon (Columba livia) is a bird in the order Columbiformes. Its eyes belong to the vision type Panoramic grain-eater and wader: four cone types, low to moderate sharpness and an almost all-round field of view. Measured in this species: colour, sharpness, field of view, foveas, night vision and motion (flicker fusion). Measured core: measured values on at least 3 of the 6 dials.

This is a simulation built from published eye measurements, not what the animal experiences.

Method: How we know what animals see (the See Like Animals vision engine) · Sources · Last updated . Every value below carries its evidence level and sources; nothing is typed by hand.

What pigeons see: colour receptors

Rock pigeon colour receptor peaks, 300 to 700 nmRock pigeon: 4 receptor peaks at 406.5, 453, 507, 567 nm; you: 3 at 421.5, 532, 558.4 nm. ultraviolet300400500600700
Rock pigeon: 406.5, 453, 507, 567 nmPeople: 421.5, 532, 558.4 nmWavelength in nanometres

What stands out

  • It has 4 colour receptor classes; people have 3.
  • Its sharpest vision resolves 14 cycles per degree: the finest stripe pattern it can tell apart from grey.
  • Its eyes cover about 316° around the head, with 19° seen by both eyes at once.
  • It stops seeing flicker at 88.5 Hz, against 60 Hz for people in this dataset, so fast motion looks about 1.5 times slower to it.[30][32]
  • Activity pattern: diurnal.

The six dials

Evidence levels: how the tiers work. "Measured" means a value measured in this species; "Estimated" values come from a close relative or an eye-size formula. The last column gives the values for people from the same catalogue.

Vision values for the rock pigeon (Columba livia), catalogue-v1
DialValueEvidenceSourcesPeople
ColourColour receptors
4 receptor classes: 406.5 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 453 nm (SWS (blue)), 507 nm (MWS (green)), 567 nm (LWS (long))
measured in this species
Measured[1][2]Colour receptors: 3 receptor classes: 421.5 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 532 nm (MWS (green)), 558.4 nm (LWS (long)) Measured (not re-verified)[2][3][4][5]
SharpnessAcuity
14 cycles per degree
median of 5 behavioural rows (method priority rule)
Measured[6][7]Acuity: 63.75 cycles per degree Measured[8][9]
Field of viewBinocular overlap
19°
median of 1 rows (eyes-at-rest rows preferred)
Measured[10]Binocular overlap: 122.5° Measured[11][12]
Total field of view: 200° Measured (not re-verified)[13]
Blind area behind the head: 160° Derived[13]
Eye placement: frontal Derived[11][12]
Total field of view
316°
species-v1.csv
Measured (not re-verified)[14]
Blind area behind the head
44°
blind area = 360 - total field
Derived[14]
Eye placement
lateral
frontal if binocular overlap >= 60 deg, else lateral
Derived[10]
Sharp zones (foveas)Number of foveas
1
species-v1.csv text: 1 central fovea + dorsotemporal area (red field)
Measured[15][14]Number of foveas: 1 Measured[16]
Fovea type: fovea Measured[16]
Fovea type
central fovea		Measured[15][14]
Night visionActivity pattern
diurnal
mode of 6 rows (of 6 rows): diurnal; not_nocturnal
Measured (not re-verified)[17][18][19][20][2][21]Activity pattern: diurnal Measured (not re-verified)[17][22][23][2][24][25][26][21]
Pupil shape: vertical Group default[27][28]
Reflective layer (tapetum): no Measured[29]
Rods vs cones: cone-dominated Derived[17][22][23][2][24][25][26][21]
Rods vs cones
cone-dominated
nocturnal -> rod-dominated; crepuscular / cathemeral / mixed -> mixed; diurnal -> cone-dominated
Derived[17][18][19][20][2][21]
Motion (flicker fusion)Flicker fusion frequency
88.5 Hz
median of 4 bright-light rows (behavioural/whole-eye ERG rows; all rows: [70.0, 77.0, 100.0, 143.0])
Measured[30][31]Flicker fusion frequency: 60 Hz Measured[30][32]

Other senses

  • magnetoreception: NOT RENDERED (no agreed visual percept) (Group default)

All birds side by side: Birds: every measurement. Method: how we know what animals see.

Sources

  1. Lind et al. 2014
  2. Longcore 2023
  3. Kirwan
  4. Müller et al. 2009
  5. Thermal Activation and Photoactivation of Visual… 2004
  6. Caves et al. 2018
  7. Caves et al. 2024
  8. Kirk et al. 2004
  9. Veilleux et al. 2014
  10. Tyrrell et al. 2017
  11. Heesy 2004
  12. Heffner et al. 1992
  13. Campbell & Green 1965
  14. Martin & Young 1983
  15. Delacoux et al. 2024
  16. Kopania et al. 2025
  17. Anderson et al. 2017
  18. Light conditions and the evolution of…
  19. Choiniere et al. 2021
  20. Wilman et al. 2014
  21. Moura et al. 2024
  22. Borges et al. 2018
  23. Wilman et al. 2014
  24. Maor et al. 2017
  25. Jones et al. 2009
  26. Schmitz et al. 2011
  27. Banks et al. 2015
  28. Cervino et al. 2021
  29. Guareschi et al. 2025
  30. Healy et al. 2013
  31. Lafitte et al. 2022
  32. Inger et al. 2014

Every value cites its sources (all sources). Values were extracted from these works and converted (units, medians, derived values); changes are ours, and the listed sources do not endorse this site. Data: catalogue-v1, built 2026-09-29. Accuracy notes: how accurate is this? Method: how we know.