Pigeons and
doves constitute the
family Columbidae within the
order Columbiformes, which include some 300
species of
near passerine birds. In general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological practice, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically the
common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the term "dove" and "pigeon." This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the
Indomalaya and
Australasia ecozones. The young doves and pigeons are called "squabs."
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy
cere. The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the
feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.
Their usually flimsy nests are made of sticks, and the two white
eggs are incubated by both sexes. Doves feed on
seeds,
fruit and plants. 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.
Systematics and evolution
This family is a highly coherent group with no members showing obvious links with other bird families, or
vice versa. The
dodo and solitaires are clearly related, as discussed below, but equally lacking in obvious links with other bird families. The limited fossil record also consists only of unequivocal Columbidae species. Links to the
sandgrouse and
parrots have been suggested, but resemblances to the first group are due to
convergent evolution and the second depend on the parrot-like features of the
Tooth-billed Pigeon. However, the distinctive features of that bird seem to have arisen from its specialized diet rather than a real relationship to the parrots.
The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, but this is probably inaccurate. For example, the American ground and quail doves which are usually placed in the Columbinae seem to be two distinct subfamilies
[1].
The order presented here follows Baptista
et al. (1997) with some updates (Johnson & Clayton 2000, Johnson
et al. 2001, Shapiro
et al. 2002).
Note that the arrangement of genera and naming of subfamilies is in some cases provisional because analyzes of different
DNA sequences yield results that differ, often radically, in the placement of certain (mainly Indo-Australian) genera. This ambiguity, probably caused by
Long branch attraction, seems to confirm that the first pigeons evolved in the Australasian region, and that the "Treronidae" and allied forms (crowned and pheasant pigeons, for example) represent the earliest radiation of the group.
As the
Dodo and
Rodrigues Solitaire are in all likelihood part of the Indo-Australian radiation that produced the 3 small subfamilies mentioned above with the fruit-doves and -pigeons (including the
Nicobar Pigeon), they are here included as a subfamily
Raphinae, pending better material evidence of their exact relationships.
Exacerbating these issues, columbids are not well represented in the
fossil record. No truly primitive forms have been found to date. The genus
Gerandia which most likely belongs to the Columbinae has been described from Early
Miocene deposits of
France. Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. For these, and for the considerable number of more recently extinct prehistoric species, see the respective genus accounts.
A list of all the species, sortable by common and scientific name, is at
list of Columbidae species
Subfamily Columbinae - typical pigeons & doves
Genus
Columba including
Aplopelia - Old World pigeons (33-34 living species, 2-3 recently
extinct)
Genus
Streptopelia including
Stigmatopelia and
Nesoenas - turtledoves (14-18 living species)
Genus
Patagioenas - American pigeons; formerly included in
Columba (17 species)
Genus
Macropygia
- Barred Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia unchall
- Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia amboinensis
- Brown Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia phasianella
- Dusky Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia magna
- Andaman Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia rufipennis
- Philippine Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia tenuirostris
- Ruddy Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia emiliana
- Black-billed Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia nigrirostris
- Mackinlay's Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia mackinlayi
- Little Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia ruficeps
Genus
Reinwardtoena (3 species)
Genus
Turacoena (2 species)
Subfamily N.N. - Bronzewings and relatives
Genus
Turtur - African wood-doves (5 species; tentatively placed here)
Genus
Oena - Namaqua Dove (tentatively placed here)
Genus
Chalcophaps (2 species)
Genus
Henicophaps (2 species)
Genus
Phaps (3 species)
Genus
Ocyphaps - Crested Pigeon
Genus
Geophaps (3 species)
Genus
Petrophassa - rock-pigeons (2 species)
Genus
Geopelia (3-5 species)
Subfamily Leptotilinae - Zenaidine and quail-doves
Genus
Zenaida (7 species)
Genus
Ectopistes - Passenger Pigeon (
extinct;
1914)
Genus
Leptotila
- White-tipped Dove, Leptotila verreauxi
- White-faced Dove, Leptotila megalura
- Grey-fronted Dove, Leptotila rufaxilla
- Grey-headed Dove, Leptotila plumbeiceps
- Pallid Dove, Leptotila pallida
- Brown-backed Dove, Leptotila battyi
- Grenada Dove, Leptotila wellsi
- Caribbean Dove, Leptotila jamaicensis
- Grey-chested Dove, Leptotila cassini
- Ochre-bellied Dove, Leptotila ochraceiventris
- Tolima Dove, Leptotila conoveri
Genus
Geotrygon - quail-doves
- Purplish-backed Quail-dove, Geotrygon lawrencii
- Veracruz Quail-dove, Geotrygon carrikeri
- Costa Rica Quail-dove, Geotrygon costaricensis
- Russet-crowned Quail-dove, Geotrygon goldmani
- Sapphire Quail-dove, Geotrygon saphirina
- Grey-headed Quail-dove, Geotrygon caniceps
- Hispaniolan Quail-dove, Geotrygon (caniceps} leucometopius
- Crested Quail-dove, Geotrygon versicolor
- Rufous-breasted Quail-dove, Geotrygon chiriquensis
- Olive-backed Quail-dove, Geotrygon veraguensis
- White-faced Quail-dove, Geotrygon albifacies
- Lined Quail-dove, Geotrygon linearis
- White-throated Quail-dove, Geotrygon frenata
- Key West Quail-dove, Geotrygon chrysia
- Bridled Quail-dove, Geotrygon mystacea
- Violaceous Quail-dove, Geotrygon violacea
- Ruddy Quail-dove, Geotrygon Montana
Genus
Starnoenas
Subfamily Columbininae - American ground doves
Genus
Columbina
Genus
Claravis
Genus
Metriopelia
Genus
Scardafella - possibly belongs into
Columbina
Genus
Uropelia
Subfamily N.N. - Indopacific ground doves
Genus
Gallicolumba (16-17 living species, 3-4 recently
extinct)
Genus
Trugon
Subfamily Otidiphabinae - Pheasant Pigeon
Genus
Otidiphaps - Pheasant Pigeon
Subfamily Didunculinae - Tooth-billed Pigeon
Genus
Didunculus
Subfamily Gourinae - crowned pigeons
Genus
Goura
Subfamily N.N. ("Treroninae") - green and fruit-doves and imperial pigeons
Genus
Ducula - imperial-pigeons
- Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula poliocephala
- White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula forsteni
- Mindoro Imperial Pigeon, Ducula mindorensis
- Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula radiata
- Grey-necked Imperial Pigeon, Ducula carola
- Green Imperial Pigeon, Ducula aenea
- White-eyed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula perspicillata
- Blue-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula concinna
- Pacific Imperial Pigeon, Ducula pacifica
- Micronesian Imperial Pigeon, Ducula oceanica
- Polynesian Imperial Pigeon, Ducula aurorae
- Nukuhiva Imperial Pigeon, Ducula galeata
- Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula rubricera
- Spice Imperial Pigeon, Ducula myristicivora
- Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula rufigaster
- Cinnamon-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula basilica
- Finsch's Imperial Pigeon, Ducula finschii
- Shining Imperial Pigeon, Ducula chalconota
- Island Imperial Pigeon, Ducula pistrinaria
- Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula rosacea
- Christmas Imperial Pigeon, Ducula whartoni
- Grey Imperial Pigeon, Ducula pickeringii
- Peale's Imperial Pigeon, Ducula latrans
- Chestnut-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula brenchleyi
- Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon, Ducula bakeri
- New Caledonian Imperial Pigeon, Ducula goliath
- Pinon's Imperial Pigeon, Ducula pinon
- Bismarck Imperial Pigeon, Ducula melanochroa
- Collared Imperial Pigeon, Ducula mullerii
- Zoe's Imperial Pigeon, Ducula zoeae
- Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Ducula badia
- Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon, Ducula lacernulata
- Timor Imperial Pigeon, Ducula cineracea
- Pied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula bicolor
- Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Ducula spilorrhoa
- White Imperial Pigeon, Ducula luctuosa
Genus
Lopholaimus - Topknot Pigeon


Kererū (New Zealand Pigeon),
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae.
Genus
Hemiphaga
- Kererū Hemiphaga novaseelandiae
- Parea Hemiphaga chathamensis
Genus
Cryptophaps
Genus
Gymnophaps - mountain-pigeons
Genus
Ptilinopus - fruit-doves (some 50 living species, 1-2 recently
extinct)
Genus
Natunaornis - Viti Levu Giant Pigeon (
prehistoric)
Genus
Drepanoptila
Genus
Alectroenas - blue pigeons
Subfamily Raphinae - didines
Genus
Raphus - Dodo (
extinct; late
17th century)
Genus
Pezophaps - Rodrigues Solitaire (
extinct; c.
1730)
Placement unresolved


Love Dove decoys
Genus
Caloenas
- Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica
- Greater Maned Pigeon, Caloenas canacorum (prehistoric)
- Liverpool Pigeon, "Caloenas" maculata - extinct; probably distinct genus
Genus
Treron - green pigeons
- Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon, Treron fulvicollis
- Little Green Pigeon, Treron olax
- Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Treron vernans
- Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Treron bicincta
- Pompadour Green Pigeon, Treron pompadora
- Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Treron curvirostra
- Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Treron griseicauda
- Sumba Green Pigeon, Treron teysmannii
- Flores Green Pigeon, Treron floris
- Timor Green Pigeon, Treron psittacea
- Large Green Pigeon, Treron capellei
- Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Treron phoenicoptera
- Bruce's Green Pigeon, Treron waalia
- Madagascar Green Pigeon, Treron australis
- African Green Pigeon, Treron calva
- Pemba Green Pigeon, Treron pembaensis
- Sao Tome Green Pigeon, Treron sanctithomae
- Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Treron apicauda
- Sumatran Green Pigeon, Treron oxyura
- Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Treron seimundi
- Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Treron sphenura
- White-bellied Green Pigeon, Treron sieboldii
- Whistling Green Pigeon, Treron formosae
Genus
Phapitreron - brown doves
Genus
Leucosarcia - Wonga Pigeon
Genus
Microgoura - Choiseul Crested Pigeon (extinct; early
20th century)
Genus
Dysmoropelia
Genus indeterminate
- Henderson Island Archaic Pigeon, Columbidae gen. et sp. indet. (prehistoric)
References
- Gibbs, Barnes and Cox, Pigeons and Doves (Pica Press 2001) ISBN 1-873403-60-7
Doves as food
Several species of pigeon or dove are used as food, and probably any could be; the powerful breast muscles characteristic of the family make excellent meat. In Europe the
Wood Pigeon is commonly shot as a
game bird, while
Rock Pigeons were originally domesticated as a food species, and many breeds were developed for their meat-bearing qualities. The extinction of the
Passenger Pigeon was at least partly due to shooting for use as food.
Doves are
Kosher, and they and
Turtle Doves are the only birds that may be used for a
Korban. Other kosher birds may be eaten, but not brought as a Korban.
See also
Related to doves
Related to symbolism
Miscellaneous
References
- Baptista, L. F.; Trail, P. W. & Horblit, H. M. (1997): Order Columbiformes. In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors): Handbook of birds of the world, Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-22-9
- Johnson, Kevin P. & Clayton, Dale H. (2000): Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genes Contain Similar Phylogenetic. Signal for Pigeons and Doves (Aves: Columbiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 14(1): 141–151. PDF fulltext
- Johnson, Kevin P.; de Kort, Selvino; Dinwoodey, Karen, Mateman, A. C.; ten Cate, Carel; Lessells, C. M. & Clayton, Dale H. (2001): A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba. Auk 118(4): 874-887. PDF fulltext
- Shapiro, Beth; Sibthorpe, Dean; Rambaut, Andrew; Austin, Jeremy; Wragg, Graham M.; Bininda-Emonds, Olaf R. P.; Lee, Patricia L. M. & Cooper, Alan (2002): Flight of the Dodo. Science 295: 1683. doi:10.1126/science.295.5560.1683 (HTML abstract) Supplementary information
Footnotes
1.
^ Basically, the conventional treatment had 2 large subfamilies, one for the fruit-doves, imperial pigeons and fruit-pigeons, and another for nearly all of the remaining species. Additionally, there were 3
monotypic subfamilies, one each for the genera
Goura,
Otidiphaps and
Didunculus. The old subfamily Columbinae consists of 5 distinct lineages, whereas the other 4 groups are more or less accurate representations of the evolutionary relationships.
External links
Dove may refer to:
- The Dove, a 1927 silent film
- Doves, a British band
- Hawk and Dove, comic books series
- Dove the Band of Love also known as Devo
- Dove prism, image inversion device
- Operation Dove by military forces
..... Click the link for more information. Pigeon
Pigeon is a common name for birds of the taxonomic family Columbidae, whose most common species is Rock Pigeon.
Pigeon may also refer to:
- The Pigeon, novella by Patrick Süskind
- Pigeon, Wisconsin, a town in Trempealeau County
..... Click the link for more information. C. livia
Binomial name
Columba livia
Gmelin, 1789
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons.
..... Click the link for more information.
Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885
Typical Classes
See below
Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Aves
Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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ColumbiformesLatham, 1790
Families
The bird order
Columbiformes includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues
..... Click the link for more information. family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Code which applies.
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order (Latin: ordo, plural ordines) is a rank between class and family (termed a taxon at that rank). The superorder is a rank between class and order. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Code which applies.
..... Click the link for more information.
ColumbiformesLatham, 1790
Families
The bird order
Columbiformes includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues
..... Click the link for more information. species is one of the basic units of biological classification. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
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Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines (order Passeriformes) due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of
..... Click the link for more information.
Aves
Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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- See also Wikipedia:Naming conventions (common names) and Wikipedia:Naming conventions
In science, a
common name is any name by which a species or other concept is known that is not the official scientific name.
..... Click the link for more information. The Indomalaya ecozone is one of the eight ecozones that cover the planet's land surface. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Australasian ecozone is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous (by some definitions), with the geographic region of Australasia. The ecozone includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (including Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of
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The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which, in addition to eating, is used for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, probing for food, courtship, and feeding their young.
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feral organism is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. Rarely will a local environment perfectly integrate the feral organism into its established ecology.
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C. livia
Binomial name
Columba livia
Gmelin, 1789
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons.
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In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. To enable incubation the egg is usually kept within a favourable temperature range as it nourishes and protects the growing embryo.
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- For other meanings of seed, see seed (disambiguation).
SEEDGeneral
KISA
1998
Cipher detail
Key size(s):| 128 bits
Block size(s):| 128 bits
Nested Feistel network
16
SEED..... Click the link for more information. fruit has different meanings depending on context. In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary—together with seeds—of a flowering plant. In many species, the fruit incorporates the ripened ovary and surrounding tissues.
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Phoenicopteriformes
Fürbringer, 1888
Family: Phoenicopteridae
Bonaparte, 1831
Genus: Phoenicopterus
Linnaeus, 1758
Flamingos (
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Crop milk, also known as pigeon's milk, is a secretion from the lining of the crop of pigeons and doves with which the parents feed their young by regurgitation. Similar crop milk is also produced by flamingos.
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A crop is a thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion that is found in many animals, including gastropods, earthworms[1], leeches[2], insects, and birds.
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RaphusBrisson, 1760
Species:
R. cucullatusBinomial name
Raphus cucullatus(Linnaeus, 1758)
..... Click the link for more information. PteroclidiformesFamily:
PteroclididaeBonaparte, 1831
Genera
PteroclesSyrrhaptes
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Systematics
(but see below)
Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos)
- Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo)
- Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos)
- Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos)
..... Click the link for more information. In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches[1].
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