Pigeon

Pigeon, common name for members of a family of birds; smaller species are commonly known as doves, but the sizes of pigeons and doves overlap. The birds, almost worldwide in distribution, are most abundant in warm regions.

Pigeons have small heads, short necks, stout bodies with short legs, and sleek plumage; they also have a fleshy or waxy protuberance, the cere, at the base of the bill. They range in size from 25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 in) long. They live in trees or on the ground, and feed on seeds, fruit, acorns and other nuts, and insects. They do not sip liquids as other birds but suck through their bills. Pigeons fly rapidly and are noted for their cooing call. They build loose, almost flat, nests of twigs, bark, straw, and weeds; the female lays one or two tan or white eggs. “Pigeon’s milk” is produced from the lining of the crop (food-storing chamber) to feed the young.

The best-known species is the feral or street pigeon, whose related wild ancestor—native to Europe and Asia—is called the rock dove. It is about 33 cm (13 in) long, bluish-grey above, with black markings on the wings and a whitish rump; below, it is purplish on the breast and bluish on the abdomen. The sides of the neck, especially in males, are iridescent. The more than 200 domestic breeds, as well as the feral pigeons, are derived from the rock dove. The common wood pigeon, which was originally a woodland bird of Eurasia and North Africa, has taken advantage of gardens and farmland. Homing pigeons, which also vary in colour, are bred for their navigational abilities and not for plumage characteristics. Among the other domestic breeds are the carrier pigeon, a tall, erect form with large wattles around the eyes and the base of the bill, whose name is commonly misapplied to the homing pigeon; the frills, characterized by forwards curvature of the tips of the feathers of the neck and body, giving a ruffled appearance; the pouters, which can dilate their crops into a swollen globe; and the jacobin (a favourite pet of Queen Victoria), whose elongated neck feathers form a hood over the head.

Other well-known pigeons include the crowned pigeons, which inhabit New Guinea and adjacent islands and are characterized by an erect crest of modified feathers; the Australian bronze-wings, which are characterized by bronze spots on the wings; the Nicobar pigeon, of islands in the East Indies, characterized by long, iridescent, dark-green hackle feathers of the neck that hang down over the back and shoulders; and the large (up to 50 cm/20 in long), fruit-eating imperial pigeons, with about 37 species in Asia and the Pacific islands, varying from multicoloured to pure white.

The white-crowned pigeon, a Caribbean species that extends north to southern Florida, is the only wild member of its genus found in the eastern United States. The larger band-tailed pigeon, about 39 cm (15 in) long, has a range extending from coastal British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains south to Argentina. The passenger pigeon, once common throughout the United States, has been extinct since 1914.

Among the pigeons called doves, many are widely distributed in Eurasia and Africa. The familiar collared dove is native to East Asia but has spread across Europe. It has uniform oatmeal-coloured plumage and is found in woodland, farmland, and some gardens. The common turtle-dove, found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, has chequered black and bronze wings. An Asian species, the spotted dove, has been successfully introduced into many parts of the world, including parts of mainland United States and Hawaii. The most common North American dove is the mourning dove, named after its plaintive call. It is about 30 cm (12 in) long, with a brown body, bluish-grey wings, and a long, white-tipped tail. Once found chiefly in open countryside, this species has become a familiar sight in urban residential areas. Smallest of the doves are the sparrow-sized ground doves of the southern United States and the New World tropics.

Scientific classification: Pigeons make up the family Columbidae of the order Columbiformes. The feral or street pigeon and the rock dove are classified as Columba livia, the common wood pigeon as Columba palumbas, the white-crowned pigeon as Columba leucocephala, and the band-tailed pigeon as Columba fasciata. The passenger pigeon is classified as Ectopistes migratorius. Crowned pigeons make up the genus Goura; Australian bronze-wings, the genus Phaps; and imperial pigeons, the genus Ducula. The Nicobar pigeon is classified as Caloenas nicobarica, the collard dove as Streptopelia decaocto, and the common turtle-dove as Streptopelia turtur, the spotted dove as Streptopelia chinensis, and the mourning dove as Zenaida macroura. Ground doves make up the genus Columbina.