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Pigeons, Doves

The Columbidae family, encompassing all doves and pigeons, is the sole group within the Columbiformes order. These birds have stout bodies, short necks, and short, slender bills, with variations that include fleshy ceres in some species. Dove and pigeon species, which are found globally with the most diversity in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, feed mainly on seeds, fruits, and plants. The family consists of 344 species across 50 genera, including 13 extinct species. While smaller species are often termed "doves" and larger ones "pigeons" in English, this distinction isn't consistent and doesn't apply in other languages. Familiar pigeons, like the widespread domestic pigeon, are known for nesting in simple structures and laying mostly one or two white eggs. Both parent birds care for the young, known as squabs, which fledge between 25 and 32 days. Pigeons and doves are unique among birds for producing crop milk to feed their young. The names "pigeon" and "dove" have distinct etymologies and have varied in common use historically. The Columbiformes, closely related to sandgrouses and mesites, are believed to have diversified rapidly after the Cretaceous. While taxonomic classifications, including five subfamilies, are still under debate due to genetic analysis discrepancies, it's suggested that pigeons originated in the Australasian region. Doves and pigeons vary greatly in size and appearance, inhabit different environments worldwide, and while many benefit from human presence, others decline or become extinct, such as the dodo and the passenger pigeon, due to habitat loss, predation, and hunting. Conservation efforts include laws, habitat protection, and breeding programs. Historically, pigeons have been used in wars as message carriers and are still commemorated for their service. Domestic species like the rock dove have been bred for various purposes, including racing and ornamental traits. In culture and religion, doves often symbolize love, peace, and the Holy Spirit, and are featured in Christianity, Islam, and portrayed as sacred in ancient mythology. They are also hunted and raised for food in many cultures around the world.

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Categories

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Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies

Pigeons, Doves

Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
Jayshrike

Metallic Pigeon

Columba vitiensis

Mindanao Bleeding-heart

Gallicolumba crinigera

Mindanao Brown Dove

Phapitreron brunneiceps

Mindoro Bleeding-heart

Gallicolumba platenae

Mindoro Imperial Pigeon

Ducula mindorensis

Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Ducula badia

Negros Bleeding-heart

Gallicolumba keayi

Negros Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus arcanus
A photo of a New Guinea Bronzewing (Henicophaps albifrons)

New Guinea Bronzewing

Henicophaps albifrons
A photo of a Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)

Nicobar Pigeon

Caloenas nicobarica

Oberholser's Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus gularis

Orange-bellied Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus iozonus
A photo of a Orange-breasted Green Pigeon (Treron bicinctus) , male

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon

Treron bicinctus

Orange-fronted Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus aurantiifrons
A photo of a Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)

Oriental Turtle Dove

Streptopelia orientalis
A photo of a Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris)

Pacific Emerald Dove

Chalcophaps longirostris

Pale-capped Pigeon

Columba punicea

Papuan Mountain Pigeon

Gymnophaps albertisii
A photo of a Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)

Peaceful Dove

Geopelia placida

Philippine Collared Dove

Streptopelia dusumieri

Philippine Cuckoo-Dove

Macropygia tenuirostris

Philippine Green Pigeon

Treron axillaris
A photo of a Pied Imperial Pigeon (Ducula bicolor)

Pied Imperial Pigeon

Ducula bicolor

Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon

Ducula poliocephala

Pink-headed Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus porphyreus

Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon

Ducula rosacea

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Treron vernans

Pink-spotted Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus perlatus

Pin-tailed Green Pigeon

Treron apicauda
A photo of a Red Collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica) , male

Red Collared Dove

Streptopelia tranquebarica

Red-eared Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus fischeri

Red-naped Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus dohertyi
A photo of a Rock Dove (Columba livia)

Rock Dove

Columba livia
A photo of a Rose-crowned Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

Rose-crowned Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus regina

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

Macropygia emiliana

Rufescent Imperial Pigeon

Ducula chalconota

Scarlet-breasted Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus bernsteinii

Scheepmaker's Crowned Pigeon

Goura scheepmakeri
A photo of a Sclater's Crowned Pigeon (Goura sclaterii)

Sclater's Crowned Pigeon

Goura sclaterii

Seram Imperial Pigeon

Ducula neglecta

Seram Mountain Pigeon

Gymnophaps stalkeri

Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon

Ducula luctuosa

Silvery Pigeon

Columba argentina

Snow Pigeon

Columba leuconota

Sombre Pigeon

Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa

Speckled Wood Pigeon

Columba hodgsonii

Spectacled Imperial Pigeon

Ducula perspicillata
A photo of a Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)

Spotted Dove

Spilopelia chinensis
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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