Pigeons

Alternate meaings include River Dove, Dove (crater), and Dove (soap)

Pigeons and Doves

Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae
Genera

Subfamily Columbinae
Columba
Nesoenas
Streptopelia
Macropygia
Reinwardtoena
Turacoena
Turtur
Oena
Chalcophaps
Henicophaps
Phaps
Ocyphaps
Geophaps
Petrophassa
Geopelia
Leucosarcia
Zenaida
Ectopistes (extinct)
Columbina
Claravis
Metropelia
Scardafella
Uropelia
Leptotila
Geotrygon
Starnoenas
Caloenas
Gallicolumba
Trugon
Microgoura (extinct?)

Subfamily Otidiphabinae
Otidiphaps

Subfamily Gourinae
Goura

Subfamily Didunculinae
Didunculus

Subfamily Treroninae
Phapitreron
Treron
Ptilinopus
Drepanoptila
Alectroenas
Ducula
Lopholaimus
Hemiphaga
Cryptophaps
Gymnophaps

The doves are the 308 species of near passerine birds in the order Columbiformes, hence the adjective columbine refers to something being dove-like. The terms dove and pigeon are used interchangeably, although smaller species are more likely to be called doves.

The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Dove.

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

The poorly constructed nests are made of sticks, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes.

Doves feed on seeds, fruit and other soft plantstuffs. Unlike most other birds, (but see flamingo), the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk", which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.

This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. It is related to the extinct dodos.

The young doves and pigeons are called 'squabs'. A person who keeps pigeons is called a 'pigeon fancier'.

Contents

Symbolism

White doves are a traditional symbol of love and peace. A dove was supposed to have been released by Noah after the flood in order to find land; it came back carrying an olive branch, telling Noah that, somewhere, there was land. A dove with an olive branch has since then come to symbolize peace. In Christian iconography, a dove also symbolizes the Holy Spirit, in reference to Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22 where the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove at the Baptism of Jesus.

Doves or other birds are often released at weddings. It should be noted that these birds, unless they are trained homing pigeons, cannot survive in the wild and will either starve to death or be easy prey for predators.

In politics the name "dove" is sometimes applied to figures who favour peaceful solutions to problems as opposed to "hawks", who favour aggressive action.

Classification & species list

  • ORDER COLUMBIFORMES
    • Family Raphidae dodos
    • Family Columbidae

The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, as follows; genus order here follows Handbook of the Birds of the World (Lynx, 1997):

Subfamily Columbinae - typical pigeons & doves

Genus Columba Typical pigeons

Genus Nesoenas

Missing image
Poland-Krakow-Pigeons.jpg

Genus Streptopelia

Genus Macropygia

Genus Reinwardtoena

Genus Turacoena

Genus Turtur

Genus Oena

Genus Chalcophaps

Genus Henicophaps

Genus Phaps, bronzewing pigeons

Genus Ocyphaps

Genus Geophaps

Genus Petrophassa, rock pigeons

Genus Geopelia

Genus Leucosarcia

Missing image
NestlingQuailAndMotherQuailCropped.jpg
Nestlings and mother Mourning Dove

Genus Zenaida

Genus Ectopistes

Genus Columbina Ground Doves

Genus Claravis

Genus Metropelia

Genus Scardafella

Genus Uropelia

Genus Leptotila

Genus Geotrygon, quail-doves

Genus Starnoenas

Genus Caloenas

Missing image
Nicobar.pigeon.750pix.jpg
Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica).

Genus Gallicolumba

Genus Trugon

Genus Microgoura

Subfamily Otidiphabinae - pheasant pigeon

Genus Otidiphaps

Subfamily Gourinae - crowned pigeons

Missing image
Victoria.crowned.pigeon.750pix.jpg
Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria)

Genus Goura crowned pigeons

Subfamily Didunculinae - tooth-billed pigeon

Genus Didunculus

Subfamily Treroninae - green & fruit doves

Genus Phapitreron

Genus Treron green pigeons

Genus Ptilinopus, fruit doves

Genus Drepanoptila

Genus Alectroenas blue pigeons

Genus Ducula imperial pigeons

Missing image
Imperial.pigeon.750pix.jpg
Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea paulina). Other names for this bird are Celebes Imperial Pigeon, Celebes Green Imperial Pigeon and Green Imperial Pigeon.

Genus Lopholaimus

Genus Hemiphaga

Genus Cryptophaps

Genus Gymnophaps, mountain pigeons

See also

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