Pigeons - how many?

[AndiFlatland]

Watch news reports from anywhere in the world - there's a very good chance that milling around in the background behind the reporter will be a bunch of pigeons. They seem to be ubiquitous. Is there any kind of estimation of how many there might be in the world - to within a few million? (Many years ago, there was a national newspaper that invited any questions from its readers, and so I sent this one in. Their answer? "Probably about 700,000". I wrote back to them to say that I thought this must be a very serious underestimation as, at least before the purge, there were probably about that many in Trafalgar Square alone. Never got any further response).

[wildwood]

Originally, these pigeons lived around rocks and mountains and took advantage of Men's agricultural practices so joined them, pretty much the same as the house sparrow. Most pigeons around now have crossed with domesticated ones so are not really the true wild rock dove anymore.

I agree that 700,000 is a gross underestimation. Probably more like 700 million and again as many domesticated ones..

[Iluvspikey]

I don't know the answer, but I do wish the one that perches on the drainpipe above the soffitboards on my roof outside my bedroom window GO AWAY and find somewhere else to sit a coo at 5.30am!

[abstibus]

Pigeons' nests give cowboy builders a good name.