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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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What Our Birders Say
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
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App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
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My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
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Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
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Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
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Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
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Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
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I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
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