The feral pigeon is descended from the domestic pigeon that have returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, have become adapted to urban life, and are abundant in most towns and cities throughout Britian.

Owing to their abilities to create large amounts of excrement and be an occasional disease vector to humans combined with crop and property damage, pigeons are largely considered a nuisance and an invasive species.

Feral pigeons are essentially the same size and shape as the original wild rock dove (weighing 230 to 370 grams), but often display far greater variation in colour and pattern compared to their wild ancestors. The neck is iridescent with green and purple. The wings are grey except for two distinct black wing-bars. The eyes and legs are red.