Chicken?
. . .but, I think the phrasing should be "What is the commonest WILD bird in the world?" Even then you've got to qualify 'commonest'.
According to BirdLife, the population of Rock Dove Columba livia (including Feral Pigeon) is estimated as c.260,000,000 individuals (2004).IMHO the Feral Pigeon family
Lost me there, I'm afraid. Qualify how?
Most numerous or most widespread?
What about the European Starling? Wouldn't it be high on this list? Or maybe the Red-billed Quelea?
To me "commonest"--without qualification--implies "most abundant", not "most widespread" but maybe I'm just being pedantic again (pedantry is bred in my bones, I'm afraid ).
According to BirdLife, the population of Rock Dove Columba livia (including Feral Pigeon) is estimated as c.260,000,000 individuals (2004).
But the House Sparrow Passer domesticus population is estimated as > c.540,000,000 individuals (also 2004).
An Essex bird. Common is an understatement!
Phil
hahaha very funny!
I can believe House Sparrow (stateside at least) is the most abundant. On the Christmas bird counts, within Laramie, House Sparrow numbers in my count circle are always greater than Pigeon counts. If anything, given the large flocks I encounter, I am probably underestimating, not overestimating, the population.