Pigeon Meat (Squab) Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Pigeon meat provides 4.51mg iron per 100g (25% DV) — higher than duck (2.4mg), guinea fowl (0.77mg), chicken breast (0.37mg), and even ground beef (2.4mg). Only emu (4.0–4.9mg) and quail (4.3mg) are comparable among commonly consumed poultry. When roasted, pigeon's iron concentrates to approximately 5.94mg per 100g (33% DV) ^[1][2].

The truly distinctive feature is pigeon's copper content: 0.59mg per 100g (66% DV) — far above any other common poultry. Chicken breast provides 0.05mg (6% DV), duck 0.25mg (28% DV), and even quail only 0.59mg. Pigeon delivers two-thirds of daily copper needs in a single 100g serving — a concentration more typical of organ meats or shellfish than of poultry ^[1][3].

Per 3 oz (85g) serving of raw pigeon: 3.83mg iron (21% DV) and 0.50mg copper (56% DV) — making pigeon one of the most mineral-efficient poultry options for food journaling. A whole roasted squab (~200g meat) provides approximately 11.9mg iron (66% DV) and 1.0mg copper (111% DV).

Pigeon skin creates one of the most dramatic calorie differences in poultry: meat + skin has 294 kcal vs. meat only 142 kcal per 100g — a 52% reduction. Fat drops from 23.8g to 7.5g (68% reduction), and saturated fat from 8.43g (42% DV) to 1.96g (10% DV). For comparison, chicken's skin removal reduces calories by 42%, while duck's is even more dramatic at 67% (404 → 135 kcal) ^[1][2].

The reason: pigeon skin is thicker, fattier, and higher in subcutaneous fat than most other poultry. A whole squab with skin (~300g as served) provides approximately 882 kcal and 71.4g fat — vs. the same bird skinless at only 284 kcal and 15g fat. That's a 598 calorie difference from skin alone ^[1][4].

For food journaling: always specify whether your pigeon was eaten with or without skin — the difference is larger than any other poultry. Skin-on pigeon has the macro profile of fatty duck; skin-off pigeon is closer to lean chicken thigh.

Pigeon delivers 307mg phosphorus per 100g (25% DV) — significantly more than any other common poultry: turkey 198mg, chicken 174mg, duck 203mg, quail 226mg, guinea fowl 169mg. This even exceeds beef liver (252mg) and most red meat cuts. When roasted, pigeon phosphorus concentrates to approximately 403mg per 100g (32% DV) ^[1][2].

A single roasted squab (~200g meat) provides 806mg phosphorus (64% DV) — well over half the daily requirement from one serving. Combined with 13mg calcium per 100g, pigeon has a phosphorus-to-calcium ratio of about 24:1, which is typical of muscle meats ^[1][3].

Phosphorus content in pigeon is particularly notable because it's combined with high iron and copper, making pigeon meat an unusually mineral-dense poultry option. For food journaling, a 3 oz (85g) serving provides approximately 261mg phosphorus (21% DV).

Raw pigeon meat contains 7.0mg vitamin C per 100g (8% DV) — unusual for fresh meat. Most poultry (chicken, turkey, guinea fowl) contains 0mg vitamin C. Duck has trace amounts. The only common animal food with comparable vitamin C is liver (13–27mg). Pigeon's vitamin C likely reflects its mixed diet in traditional raising environments ^[1][2].

Cooking reduces vitamin C significantly: roasted pigeon retains approximately 5.0mg per 100g, and prolonged braising further reduces it. While 7mg isn't nutritionally significant compared to fruits or vegetables (an orange has 53mg), it's notable as a food-logging curiosity — pigeon is one of the very few whole meats that registers any vitamin C at all ^[1][5].

The vitamin A content is also notable: 28mcg RAE per 100g (meat only) and 73mcg RAE (meat + skin), coming from retinol rather than beta-carotene. Most poultry breast meat has near-zero vitamin A, making pigeon's levels another distinctive feature.

Pigeon meat's cholesterol at 90mg per 100g (30% DV) is the highest among standard poultry cuts: chicken breast 73mg, duck meat only 77mg, turkey 62mg, guinea fowl 63mg, quail 70mg. With skin, pigeon reaches 95mg cholesterol per 100g. Per 3 oz (85g): 76.5mg cholesterol (26% DV) ^[1][2].

A whole roasted squab (~200g meat only) provides 238mg cholesterol (79% DV) — approaching the 300mg daily guideline that was used historically (though current guidelines no longer set a strict cholesterol cap). With skin, the same squab reaches 190mg per 100g when accounting for the fattier skin portion ^[1][3].

For food journaling: pigeon's cholesterol is high relative to other poultry but still moderate compared to eggs (373mg/100g) or shrimp (189mg/100g). Combined with its moderate saturated fat (1.96g skinless), pigeon's lipid profile is less favorable than turkey or skinless chicken but comparable to many red meats.