Columbidae
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"Pigeon" and "Dove" redirect here. For other uses, see Pigeon (disambiguation)
and Dove (disambiguation).
Pigeon
Temporal range: Early Miocene–recent
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dove 1 pigeon
Pigeon on high tension cable.png
Feral pigeon perched on a supply cable
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Columbimorphae
Order: Columbiformes
Latham, 1790
Family: Columbidae
Leach, 1820
Subfamilies
Columbinae
Zenaidini
Columbini
Claravinae
Raphinae
Phabini
Raphini
Treronini
Turturini
Ptilinopini
Pigeon range.png
Geographic range of the family Columbidae
Pigeons and doves constitute the animal family Columbidae and the order
Columbiformes, which includes about 42 genera and 310 species. The related word
"columbine" refers to pigeons and doves. They are stout-bodied birds with short
necks, and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They
primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. This family occurs worldwide, but
the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. Pigeons and
doves are likely the most common birds in the world.
The distinction between "doves" and "pigeons" is not consistent. In modern
everyday speech, as opposed to scientific usage or formal usage, "dove"
frequently indicates a pigeon that is white or nearly white. However, some
people use the terms "dove" and "pigeon" interchangeably. In contrast, in
scientific and ornithological practice, "dove" tends to be used for smaller
species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently
applied. Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of
variation between the terms. The species most commonly referred to as "pigeon"
is the species known by scientists as the rock dove, one subspecies of which,
the domestic pigeon, is common in many cities as the feral pigeon.
Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pipio, for a "peeping"
chick, dove 2 pigeon while dove is a Germanic word that refers to the bird's
diving flight. dove 3 pigeon The English dialect word "culver" appears to derive
from Latin columba, pigeon, dove. dove 2 pigeon
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, often using sticks and other
debris, which may be placed on trees, ledges, or the ground, depending on
species. They lay one or two eggs at a time, and both parents care for the
young, which leave the nest after 7–28 days. dove 4 pigeon Unlike most birds,
both sexes of doves and pigeons produce "crop milk" to feed to their young,
secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Young
doves and pigeons are called "squabs".
Contents
1 Taxonomy and systematics
1.1 Taxonomy
2 Description
3 Distribution and habitat
4 Behaviour
4.1 Feeding
5 Status and conservation
6 Relationship with humans
6.1 Military
6.2 Domestication
6.3 In religion
6.4 As food
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
Taxonomy and systematics
See also: List of Columbidae genera and List of Columbidae species
The family Columbidae was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford
Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. dove 5
pigeon dove 6 pigeon Columbidae is the only living family in the order
Columbiformes. The sandgrouses (Pteroclididae) were formerly placed here, but
were moved to a separate order Pteroclidiformes based on anatomical differences
(e.g., they are unable to drink by "sucking" or "pumping"); dove 7 pigeon they
are now considered to be more closely related to shorebirds. dove 8 pigeon
Recent phylogenomic studies support the grouping of pigeons and sandgrouse
together, along with mesites, forming the sister taxon to Mirandornithes. dove 9
pigeon dove 10 pigeon dove 11 pigeon dove 12 pigeon
The Columbidae are usually divided into five subfamilies, probably inaccurately.
dove 13 pigeon For example, the American ground and quail doves (Geotrygon),
which are usually placed in the Columbinae, seem to be two distinct subfamilies.
dove 14 pigeon The order presented here follows Baptista et al. (1997), dove 15
pigeon with some updates. dove 16 pigeon dove 17 pigeon dove 18 pigeon
The arrangement of genera and naming of subfamilies is in some cases provisional
because analyses of different DNA sequences yield results that differ, often
radically, in the placement of certain (mainly Indo-Australian) genera. dove
citation needed pigeon This ambiguity, probably caused by long branch
attraction, seems to confirm 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. dove
citation needed pigeon
The family Columbidae previously also contained the family Raphidae, consisting
of the extinct Rodrigues solitaire and the dodo. dove 18 pigeon dove 19 pigeon
dove 20 pigeon These species are in all likelihood part of the Indo-Australian
radiation that produced the three small subfamilies mentioned above, dove 21
pigeon with the fruit doves and pigeons (including the Nicobar pigeon).
Therefore, they are here included as a subfamily Raphinae, pending better
material evidence of their exact relationships. dove 22 pigeon
Exacerbating these issues, columbids are not well represented in the fossil
record. dove 23 pigeon No truly primitive forms have been found to date. dove
citation needed pigeon The genus Gerandia has been described from Early Miocene
deposits in France, but while it was long believed to be a pigeon, dove 24
pigeon it is now considered a sandgrouse. dove 25 pigeon Fragmentary remains of
a probably "ptilinopine" Early Miocene pigeon were found in the Bannockburn
Formation of New Zealand and described as Rupephaps; dove 25 pigeon "Columbina"
prattae from roughly contemporary deposits of Florida is nowadays tentatively
separated in Arenicolumba, but its distinction from Columbina/Scardafella and
related genera needs to be more firmly established (e.g. by cladistic analysis).
dove 26 pigeon Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. dove
27 pigeon
Baby pigeon
Rock dove in flight
Rock pigeon courtship
Taxonomy
Taxonomy based on the work by John H. Boyd, III, dove 28 pigeon a professor of
economics. dove 29 pigeon
Columbinae
Zenaidini
Starnoenas (Blue-headed quail-doves)
Geotrygon (Quail-doves)
Leptotila
Leptotrygon (olive-backed quail-dove)
Zenaida
Zentrygon
Columbini
†Ectopistes (Passenger pigeon)
Patagioenas (American pigeons)
Reinwardtoena
Turacoena
Macropygia
Streptopelia
Columba (Old World pigeons)
Nesoenas
Spilopelia
Claravinae
Claravis
Uropelia (long-tailed ground doves)
Metriopelia
Columbina dove Scardafella pigeon
Raphinae
Phabini
?Henicophaps
Gallicolumba
Alopecoenas
Ocyphaps (Crested pigeon)
Petrophassa (rock pigeons)
Leucosarcia (Wonga pigeon)
Geopelia
Phaps
Geophaps
Raphini
Trugon (thick-billed ground pigeon)
†Microgoura (Choiseul crested pigeon)
Otidiphaps (pheasant pigeon)
Goura
Didunculus (tooth-billed pigeon)
Caloenas (Nicobar pigeon)
†Raphus (Dodo)
†Pezophaps (Rodrigues solitaire)
Treronini
Treron (Green pigeons)
Turturini
Phapitreron (Brown dove)
Chalcophaps (Emerald doves)
Oena (Namaqua dove)
Turtur (African wood doves)
Ptilinopini
Ducula (Imperial pigeons)
dove Ptilinopus; Drepanoptila; Alectroenas pigeon (Fruit doves)
Hemiphaga (New Zealand pigeons)
Lopholaimus (Topknot pigeon)
Cryptophaps (Sombre pigeon)
Gymnophaps (Mountain pigeons)
Description
The Common ground dove is among the smallest species in the family.
A flock of pigeons, commonly seen in urban areas around the world
Pigeons and doves exhibit considerable variation in size, ranging in length from
15 to 75 centimetres (5.9 to 29.5 in), and in weight from 30 g (0.066 lb) to
above 2,000 g (4.4 lb). dove 30 pigeon The largest species is the crowned pigeon
of New Guinea, dove 31 pigeon which is nearly turkey-sized, at a weight of 2–4
kg (4.4–8.8 lb). dove 32 pigeon The smallest is the New World ground dove of the
genus Columbina, which is the same size as a house sparrow, weighing as little
as 22 g (0.049 lb). dove 15 pigeon With a total length of more than 50 cm (20
in) and weight of almost 1 kg (2.2 lb), the largest arboreal species is the
Marquesan imperial pigeon, dove 33 pigeon while the dwarf fruit dove, which may
measure as little as 13 cm (5.1 in), has a marginally smaller total length than
any other species from this family. dove 15 pigeon
Overall, the Columbidae tend to have short legs, short bills with a fleshy cere,
and small heads on large, compact bodies. dove 34 pigeon In a series of
experiments in 1975 by Dr. Mark B. Friedman, using doves, their characteristic
head bobbing was shown to be due to their natural desire to keep their vision
constant. dove 35 pigeon It was shown yet again in a 1978 experiment by Dr.
Barrie J. Frost, in which pigeons were placed on treadmills; it was observed
that they did not bob their heads, as their surroundings were constant. dove 36
pigeon The wings are large, and have eleven primary feathers, dove 37 pigeon and
low wing loading; dove 38 pigeon pigeons have strong wing muscles (wing muscles
comprise 31–44% of their body weight dove 37 pigeon ) and are among the
strongest fliers of all birds. dove 39 pigeon They are also highly manoeuvrable
in flight. dove 40 pigeon
Columbidae have unique body feathers, with the shaft being generally broad,
strong, and flattened, tapering to a fine point, abruptly. dove 37 pigeon In
general, the aftershaft is absent; however, small ones on some tail and wing
feathers may be present . dove 41 pigeon Body feathers have very dense, fluffy
bases, are attached loosely into the skin, and drop out easily. dove 42 pigeon
Possibly serving as a predator avoidance mechanism, dove 43 pigeon large numbers
of feathers come out in the attacker's mouth, if the bird is grabbed by a
predator, facilitating the bird's escape.
The plumage of the family is variable. dove 44 pigeon Granivorous species tend
to have dull plumage, with a few exceptions, whereas the frugivorous species
have brightly coloured plumage. dove 15 pigeon The Ptilinopus (fruit doves) are
some of the brightest-coloured pigeons, with the three endemic species of Fiji
and the Indian Ocean Alectroenas being the brightest. Pigeons and doves may be
sexually monochromatic or dichromatic. dove 45 pigeon In addition to bright
colours, pigeons may sport crests or other ornamentation. dove 46 pigeon
Like some other birds, the Columbidae have no gall bladders. dove 47 pigeon Some
medieval naturalists concluded they have no bile (gall), which in the medieval
theory of the four humours explained the allegedly sweet disposition of doves.
dove 48 pigeon In fact, however, they do have gall (as Aristotle had earlier
realised), which is secreted directly into the gut. dove 49 pigeon
Distribution and habitat
See also: List of Columbiformes by population
The zebra dove has been widely introduced around the world.
Pigeons and doves are distributed everywhere on Earth, except for the driest
areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica and its surrounding islands, and the high
Arctic. dove 30 pigeon They have colonised most of the world's oceanic islands,
reaching eastern Polynesia and the Chatham Islands in the Pacific, Mauritius,
the Seychelles and Réunion in the Indian Ocean, and the Azores in the Atlantic
Ocean.
The family has adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet. These
species may be arboreal, terrestrial, or semi-terrestrial. Various species also
inhabit savannas, grasslands, deserts, temperate woodlands and forests, mangrove
forests, and even the barren sands and gravels of atolls. dove 50 pigeon
Some species have large natural ranges. The eared dove ranges across the
entirety of South America from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego, dove 51 pigeon the
Eurasian collared dove has a massive (if discontinuous) distribution from
Britain across Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and China, dove 52
pigeon and the laughing dove across most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as
India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. dove 53 pigeon Other species have tiny,
restricted distributions; this is most common in island endemics. The whistling
dove is endemic to the tiny Kadavu Island in Fiji, dove 54 pigeon the Caroline
ground dove is restricted to two islands, Truk and Pohnpei in the Caroline
Islands, dove 55 pigeon and the Grenada dove is restricted to Grenada in the
Caribbean. dove 56 pigeon Some continental species also have tiny distributions;
for example, the black-banded fruit dove is restricted to a small area of the
Arnhem Land of Australia, dove 57 pigeon the Somali pigeon is restricted to a
tiny area of northern Somalia, dove 58 pigeon and Moreno's ground dove is
restricted to the area around Salta and Tucuman in northern Argentina. dove 15
pigeon
The largest range of any species is that of the rock dove. dove 59 pigeon This
species had a large natural distribution from Britain and Ireland to northern
Africa, across Europe, Arabia, Central Asia, India, the Himalayas and up into
China and Mongolia. dove 59 pigeon The range of the species increased
dramatically upon domestication, as the species went feral in cities around the
world. dove 59 pigeon The species is currently resident across most of North
America, and has established itself in cities and urban areas in South America,
sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. dove 59
pigeon The species is not the only pigeon to have increased its range due to the
actions of man; several other species have become established outside of their
natural range after escaping captivity, and other species have increased their
natural ranges due to habitat changes caused by human activity. dove 15 pigeon
Behaviour
Feeding
White-bellied green pigeon feeding on fruit
Seeds and fruit form the major component of the diets of pigeons and doves. dove
30 pigeon dove 60 pigeon In fact, the family can be divided into the seed-eating
or granivorous species (subfamily Columbinae) and the fruit-and-mast-eating or
frugivorous species (the other four subfamilies). dove 61 pigeon The granivorous
species typically feed on seed found on the ground, whereas the frugivorous
species tend to feed in trees. dove 61 pigeon There are morphological
adaptations that can be used to distinguish between the two groups: granivores
tend to have thick walls in their gizzards, intestines, and esophagi whereas the
frugivores tend to have thin walls. dove 30 pigeon In addition, fruit-eating
species have short intestines whereas those that eat seeds have longer ones.
dove 62 pigeon Frugivores are capable of clinging to branches and even hang
upside down to reach fruit. dove 15 pigeon dove 61 pigeon
In addition to fruit and seeds, a number of other food items are taken by many
species. Some, particularly the ground doves and quail-doves, eat a large number
of prey items such as insects and worms. dove 61 pigeon One species, the atoll
fruit dove, is specialised in taking insect and reptile prey. dove 61 pigeon
Snails, moths, and other insects are taken by white-crowned pigeons, orange
fruit doves, and ruddy ground doves. dove 15 pigeon
Male pigeons are more opportunistic to mate with another female. dove 63 pigeon
Status and conservation
The Socorro dove is extinct in the wild.
While many species of pigeons and doves have benefited from human activities and
have increased their ranges, many other species have declined in numbers and
some have become threatened or even succumbed to extinction. dove 64 pigeon
Among the ten species to have become extinct since 1600 (the conventional date
for estimating modern extinctions) are two of the most famous extinct species,
the dodo and the passenger pigeon. dove 64 pigeon
The passenger pigeon was exceptional for a number of reasons. In modern times,
it is the only pigeon species that was not an island species to have become
extinct dove 64 pigeon even though it was once the most numerous species of bird
on Earth. dove citation needed pigeon Its former numbers are difficult to
estimate, but one ornithologist, Alexander Wilson, estimated one flock he
observed contained over two billion birds. dove 65 pigeon The decline of the
species was abrupt; in 1871, a breeding colony was estimated to contain over a
hundred million birds, yet the last individual in the species was dead by 1914.
dove 66 pigeon Although habitat loss was a contributing factor, the species is
thought to have been massively over-hunted, being used as food for slaves and,
later, the poor, in the United States throughout the 19th century. dove citation
needed pigeon
The dodo, and its extinction, was more typical of the extinctions of pigeons in
the past. Like many species that colonise remote islands with few predators, it
lost much of its predator avoidance behaviour, along with its ability to fly.
dove 67 pigeon The arrival of people, along with a suite of other introduced
species such as rats, pigs, and cats, quickly spelled the end for this species
and all the other island forms that have become extinct. dove 67 pigeon
Around 59 species of pigeons and doves are threatened with extinction today,
about 19% of all species. dove 68 pigeon Most of these are tropical and live on
islands. All of the species are threatened by introduced predators, habitat
loss, hunting, or a combination of these factors. dove 67 pigeon In some cases,
they may be extinct in the wild, as is the Socorro dove of Socorro Island,
Mexico, last seen in the wild in 1972, driven to extinction by habitat loss and
introduced feral cats. dove 69 pigeon In some areas, a lack of knowledge means
the true status of a species is unknown; the Negros fruit dove has not been seen
since 1953, dove 70 pigeon and may or may not be extinct, and the Polynesian
ground dove is classified as critically endangered, as whether it survives or
not on remote islands in the far west of the Pacific Ocean is unknown. dove 71
pigeon
Various conservation techniques are employed to prevent these extinctions,
including laws and regulations to control hunting pressure, the establishment of
protected areas to prevent further habitat loss, the establishment of captive
populations for reintroduction back into the wild (ex situ conservation), and
the translocation of individuals to suitable habitats to create additional
populations. dove 67 pigeon dove 72 pigeon
Relationship with humans
Military
Dickin Medal for the pigeon Royal Blue
Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
The pigeon was used in both World War I and II, notably by the Australian,
French, German, American, and UK forces. They were also awarded with various
laurels throughout, for their service. On 2 December 1943, three pigeons –
Winkie, Tyke, and White Vision – were awarded the first ever Dickin medal,
serving with Britain's Royal Air Force, for rescuing an air force crew during
World War II. dove 73 pigeon Thirty-two pigeons have been decorated with the
Dickin Medal, citing them for "brave service", dove 74 pigeon for war
contributions, including Commando, G.I. Joe, dove 75 pigeon Paddy, Royal Blue,
and William of Orange. dove 76 pigeon
Cher Ami, a homing pigeon in World War I, was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal,
by France, with a palm Oak Leaf Cluster for her service in Verdun. dove 77
pigeon Despite having almost lost a leg and being shot in the chest, she managed
to travel around twenty-five miles to deliver the message that saved 194 men of
the Lost Battalion of the 77th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Argonne,
in October 1918. dove 77 pigeon dove 73 pigeon When Cher Ami died, she was
mounted and is part of the permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American
History of the Smithsonian Institution. dove 78 pigeon
A grand ceremony was held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate a platoon of
pigeons that braved the battlefields of Normandy to deliver vital plans to
Allied forces on the fringes of Germany. dove 79 pigeon Three of the actual
birds that received the medals are on show in the London Military Museum so that
well-wishers can pay their respects. dove 79 pigeon
Domestication
Emperor Honorius is a historically prominent individual who kept pigeons as
pets.
The rock pigeon has been domesticated for hundreds of years. dove 80 pigeon It
has been bred into several varieties kept by hobbyists, of which the best known
is the homing pigeon or racing homer. dove 80 pigeon Other popular breeds are
tumbling pigeons such as the Birmingham roller, and fancy varieties that are
bred for certain physical characteristics such as large feathers on the feet or
fan-shaped tails. Domesticated rock pigeons are also bred as carrier pigeons,
dove 46 pigeon used for thousands of years to carry brief written messages, dove
81 pigeon and release doves used in ceremonies. dove 82 pigeon White doves are
also commonly used in magic acts. dove 83 pigeon
In religion
Early fifth-century BC statue of Aphrodite from Cyprus, showing her wearing a
cylinder crown and holding a dove
God the Holy Spirit descending from heaven like a dove at the Baptism of Jesus
depicted by Almeida Júnior
See also: Doves as symbols
In ancient Mesopotamia, doves were prominent animal symbols of Inanna-Ishtar,
the goddess of love, sexuality, and war. dove 84 pigeon dove 85 pigeon Doves are
shown on cultic objects associated with Inanna as early as the beginning of the
third millennium BC. dove 84 pigeon Lead dove figurines were discovered in the
temple of Ishtar at Aššur, dating to the thirteenth century BC, dove 84 pigeon
and a painted fresco from Mari, Syria, shows a giant dove emerging from a palm
tree in the temple of Ishtar, dove 85 pigeon indicating that the goddess herself
was sometimes believed to take the form of a dove. dove 85 pigeon In the Epic of
Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim releases a dove and a raven to find land; the dove merely
circles and returns. dove 86 pigeon Only then does Utnapishtim send forth the
raven, which does not return, and Utnapishtim concludes the raven has found
land. dove 86 pigeon
In the ancient Levant, doves were used as symbols for the Canaanite mother
goddess Asherah. dove 84 pigeon dove 85 pigeon dove 87 pigeon The ancient Greek
word for "dove" was peristerá, dove 84 pigeon dove 85 pigeon which may be
derived from the Semitic phrase peraḥ Ištar, meaning "bird of Ishtar". dove 84
pigeon In classical antiquity, doves were sacred to the Greek goddess Aphrodite,
dove 88 pigeon dove 89 pigeon dove 84 pigeon dove 85 pigeon who absorbed this
association with doves from Inanna-Ishtar. dove 85 pigeon Aphrodite frequently
appears with doves in ancient Greek pottery. dove 88 pigeon The temple of
Aphrodite Pandemos on the southwest slope of the Athenian Acropolis was
decorated with relief sculptures of doves with knotted fillets in their beaks
dove 88 pigeon and votive offerings of small, white, marble doves were
discovered in the temple of Aphrodite at Daphni. dove 88 pigeon During
Aphrodite's main festival, the Aphrodisia, her altars would be purified with the
blood of a sacrificed dove. dove 90 pigeon Aphrodite's associations with doves
influenced the Roman goddesses Venus and Fortuna, causing them to become
associated with doves as well. dove 87 pigeon
Dove with an olive branch, Catacombs of Domitilla, Rome
In the Hebrew Bible, doves or young pigeons are acceptable burnt offerings for
those who cannot afford a more expensive animal. dove 91 pigeon In Genesis, Noah
sends a dove out of the ark, but it came back to him because the floodwaters had
not receded. Seven days later, he sent it again and it came back with an olive
branch in her mouth, indicating the waters had receded enough for an olive tree
to grow. "Dove" is also a term of endearment in the Song of Songs and elsewhere.
In Hebrew, Jonah (יוֹנָה) means dove. dove 92 pigeon The "sign of Jonas" in dove
1 pigeon is related to the "sign of the dove". dove 93 pigeon
Jesus's parents sacrificed doves on his behalf after his circumcision (Luke ).
dove 93 pigeon Later, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism like a
dove (Matthew ), and subsequently the "peace dove" became a common Christian
symbol of the Holy Spirit. dove 93 pigeon
In Islam, doves and the pigeon family in general are respected and favoured
because they are believed to have assisted the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad,
in distracting his enemies outside the cave of Thaw'r, in the great Hijra. dove
94 pigeon A pair of pigeons had built a nest and laid eggs at once, and a spider
had woven cobwebs, which in the darkness of the night made the fugitives believe
that Muhammad could not be in that cave. dove 94 pigeon
As food
See also: Squab (food)
Fried pigeon with nasi timbel (banana leaf wrapped rice), tempeh, tofu, and
vegetables, Sundanese cuisine, Indonesia
Several species of pigeons and doves are used as food; however, all types are
edible. dove 95 pigeon Domesticated or hunted pigeons have been used as the
source of food since the times of the Ancient Middle East, Ancient Rome, and
Medieval Europe. dove 74 pigeon It is familiar meat within Jewish, Arab,
Assamese and French cuisines. According to the Tanakh, doves are kosher, and
they are the only birds that may be used for a korban. Other kosher birds may be
eaten, but not brought as a korban. It is also known in Asian cuisines, such as
Chinese and Indonesian.
In Europe, the wood pigeon is commonly shot as a game bird, dove 96 pigeon while
rock pigeons were originally domesticated as a food species, and many breeds
were developed for their meat-bearing qualities. dove 50 pigeon The extinction
of the passenger pigeon in North America was at least partly due to shooting for
use as food. dove 97 pigeon Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management contains
recipes for roast pigeon and pigeon pie, a popular, inexpensive food in
Victorian industrial Britain. dove 98 pigeon
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