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The emergence and spread of β-lactams and colistin-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> in birds deserve a special concern worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the presence of β-lactams and colistin-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> strains isolated from the faeces of urban and rural pigeons in Batna, Algeria, and to characterise their molecular traits of resistance. Between March and April 2019, a total of 276 faecal droppings samples were collected in Batna, Algeria. Samples were subjected to selective isolation of β-lactams and colistin-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i>. The representative colonies were then identified using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. β-lactamases, as well as <i>mcr</i> genes, were screened for by PCR and confirmed by sequencing. Genetic relatedness of the <i>mcr</i>-positive <i>E. coli</i> strains was determined using multi-locus sequence typing analysis. Transferability features of carbapenemase genes were assessed by conjugation experiments. Overall, thirty-five <i>E. coli</i> isolates were obtained only from urban pigeon samples. All carbapenem-resistant isolates harboured the <i>bla</i>_OXA-48 gene as the only carbapenemase gene detected (n = 11), while <i>bla</i>_ESBL genes were detected in eighteen isolates. Out of the thirty-five isolates, four <i>E. coli</i> isolates were positive for the <i>mcr-</i>1 gene. The obtained <i>mcr-</i>1 positive <i>E. coli</i> isolates belonged to four STs, including ST1485, ST224, ST46, and a new ST. This study is the first to report the isolation of <i>E. coli</i> strains carrying the <i>mcr-</i>1 gene from pigeon faeces in Algeria and also the first to report the detection of <i>bla</i>_OXA-48-positive <i>E. coli</i> in pigeons. Close surveillance is, therefore, urgently needed to monitor the dissemination of <i>bla</i>_OXA-48 and <i>mcr-</i>1 producing <i>E. coli</i> strains in wildlife.