# Are pigeons the most ubiquitous birds in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893 "2005-10-25T21:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/21 "2005-10-26T21:23:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > _C. caurinus_ has a pretty small range, so even if merged with _C. brachyrhynchos_ (which I haven’t heard any proposals to do) it wouldn’t increase the total range significantly. Northern Raven, on the other hand, has a total range, in North America alone, that is similar in size to that of _C. brachyrhynchos_ (ranging both farther north and farther south, but not present in much of the east), and also extends all the way across northern Eurasia. But surely they’re not as numerous? NOt that that’s necessarily relevant. Just sayin. I’ve seen what must amount, literally, to hundreds of thousands of crows, personally, in my life; but no more than maybe a dozen ravens. Again, just sayin. > [@Colibri](#): > > This is because they are almost exclusively nocturnal. If you know where to look for them, they can usually be seen at their day roosts pretty easily. Of course, that was my assumption too; never been birdwatching at night. I blame myself. But man, a Snowy Owl sittin on a fence post in a snow storm is QUITE a sight. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/22 "2005-10-26T21:31:08Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > But surely they’re not as numerous? NOt that that’s necessarily relevant. Just sayin. I’ve seen what must amount, literally, to hundreds of thousands of crows, personally, in my life; but no more than maybe a dozen ravens. Again, just sayin. The question in the OP was not about which species was most numerous, but which was most ubiquitous (widest ranging). You are right that the population density of American Crows is often much greater than that of Northern Ravens anywhere in their range. > [@](#): > > Of course, that was my assumption too; never been birdwatching at night. I blame myself. But man, a Snowy Owl sittin on a fence post in a snow storm is QUITE a sight. The first Snowy Owl I ever saw was sitting on the roof of my neighbor’s house in the Bronx one October. The local crows were going nuts mobbing it. I’ve seen them a few times since then on snowswept beaches on Long Island. Quite a sight. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/23 "2005-10-26T21:50:42Z")
**Colibri** , I’m curious about the range of the hoopoe (with my all-time favorite binomial appellation: _Upupa epops_). It seems like it is mentioned in passing, depicted on wildlife issues in stamps, etc., over a pretty broad area in Africa and Eurasia. Any comments on it? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/24 "2005-10-26T22:03:33Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I’m curious about the range of the hoopoe I’ve seen them in South Africa. I believe they spend northern summers as far north as the Baltic. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/25 "2005-10-26T22:39:00Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > **Colibri** , I’m curious about the range of the hoopoe (with my all-time favorite binomial appellation: _Upupa epops_). It seems like it is mentioned in passing, depicted on wildlife issues in stamps, etc., over a pretty broad area in Africa and Eurasia. Any comments on it? Yes, it is very widespread, being found from Spain to China and Japan and south to South Africa and Malaysia. Some references split the Eurasian and African forms as different species, but the _Handbook of the Birds of the World_ keeps them together. Beautiful birds. I’ve seen them in Kenya and India, and have a silk painting of three hoopoes I got in India in my living room. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/26 "2005-10-27T16:44:41Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I don’t know why, but “feral chicken” is the funniest thing I’ve read all week. Band name! ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893/27 "2005-10-27T19:37:51Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > But surely they’re not as numerous? NOt that that’s necessarily relevant. Just sayin. I’ve seen what must amount, literally, to hundreds of thousands of crows, personally, in my life; but no more than maybe a dozen ravens. Again, just sayin. > > Of course, that was my assumption too; never been birdwatching at night. I blame myself. But man, a Snowy Owl sittin on a fence post in a snow storm is QUITE a sight. As was one sitting on top of the FBI building in D.C., seen from the Natural History bldg accross the street (some years ago). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-pigeons-the-most-ubiquitous-birds-in-the-world/327893.md?page=1)