Columbidae - Wikipedia Jump to content Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Special pages Search Search Appearance Donate Create account Log in Personal tools Donate Create account Log in Contents move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 Etymology 2 Origin and evolution Toggle Origin and evolution subsection 2.1 Taxonomy and systematics 2.2 List of genera 2.2.1 Subfamily Raphinae Oudemans, 1917 (1835) (Old World tropics doves and pigeons) 2.2.2 Subfamily Claravinae Todd, 1913 (American ground doves) 2.2.3 Subfamily Columbinae Illiger, 1811 (typical pigeons and doves) 2.2.4 Species of uncertain placement 2.2.5 Fossil and prehistoric species 3 Description Toggle Description subsection 3.1 Anatomy and physiology 3.2 Feathers 3.3 Flight 3.4 Size 4 Distribution and habitat 5 Behaviour Toggle Behaviour subsection 5.1 Feeding 5.2 Reproduction 6 Status and conservation 7 Domestication 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links Toggle the table of contents Columbidae 170 languages Acèh Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Aragonés Ænglisc العربية ܐܪܡܝܐ الدارجة مصرى অসমীয়া Asturianu Atikamekw Kotava Aymar aru Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Башҡортса Basa Bali Žemaitėška Bikol Central Беларуская (тарашкевіца) Беларуская Български भोजपुरी বাংলা Brezhoneg Bosanski Буряад Català Cebuano کوردی Čeština Чӑвашла Cymraeg Dansk Dagbanli Deutsch Thuɔŋjäŋ Eʋegbe Ελληνικά Emiliàn e rumagnòl Esperanto Español Eesti Euskara فارسی Suomi Na Vosa Vakaviti Føroyskt Français Arpetan Nordfriisk Gaeilge Gàidhlig Galego گیلکی Avañe'ẽ ગુજરાતી עברית हिन्दी Fiji Hindi Hrvatski Kreyòl ayisyen Magyar Հայերեն Interlingua Bahasa Indonesia Ilokano Ido Íslenska Italiano 日本語 Jawa ქართული Taqbaylit Karai-karai Адыгэбзэ Tyap Kongo Қазақша ಕನ್ನಡ Yerwa Kanuri 한국어 کٲشُر Kurdî Kernowek Кыргызча Latina Ladino Lingua Franca Nova Limburgs Ligure Lietuvių Latviešu Malagasy മലയാളം Монгол ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ ဘာသာမန် मराठी Кырык мары Bahasa Melayu မြန်မာဘာသာ مازِرونی Nedersaksies Plattdüütsch नेपाली नेपाल भाषा Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Norsk bokmål Sesotho sa Leboa Diné bizaad Occitan Oromoo ଓଡ଼ିଆ Ирон ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Picard Polski Piemontèis پنجابی پښتو Português Pinayuanan Runa Simi Română Русский Русиньскый संस्कृतम् ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ Sardu Sicilianu Scots سنڌي Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Taclḥit Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga Shqip Српски / srpski Svenska Kiswahili ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ தமிழ் ᥖᥭᥰ ᥖᥬᥲ ᥑᥨᥒᥰ తెలుగు Тоҷикӣ ไทย Tagalog Türkçe Українська اردو Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Vepsän kel’ Tiếng Việt West-Vlams Walon Winaray Wolof 吴语 ייִדיש Zeêuws 文言 閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gí 粵語 中文 Edit links Article Talk English Read View source View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read View source View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Switch to legacy parser Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikispecies Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Family of birds "Pigeon" and "Dove" redirect here. For other uses, see Pigeon (disambiguation) and Dove (disambiguation). {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HUyB1DrSsU0C&pg=PA120|title=Avian Biology|last=Farner|first=Donald|date=2012|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-323-15799-5 |page=120}}</ref}}"},"image":{"wt":"Treron vernans male - Kent Ridge Park.jpg"},"image_caption":{"wt":"The [[pink-necked green pigeon]], a frugivorous species"},"image2":{"wt":"Speckled pigeon (Columba guinea guinea).jpg"},"image2_caption":{"wt":"The [[speckled pigeon]], a granivorous species"},"display_parents":{"wt":"2"},"parent_authority":{"wt":"[[John Latham (ornithologist)|Latham]], 1790"},"taxon":{"wt":"Columbidae"},"authority":{"wt":"[[Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger|Illiger]], 1811"},"type_genus":{"wt":"''[[Columba (bird)|Columba]]''"},"type_genus_authority":{"wt":"[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758"},"range_map":{"wt":"Pigeon range.png"},"range_map_caption":{"wt":"{{legend0|#808000|&nbsp;Geographic range of the family}}"},"subdivision_ranks":{"wt":"Subfamilies"},"subdivision":{"wt":"See text"}},"i":2}}]}' Columbidae Temporal range: Early Miocene – recent[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N The pink-necked green pigeon, a frugivorous species The speckled pigeon, a granivorous species Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Columbimorphae Order: Columbiformes Latham, 1790 Family: Columbidae Illiger, 1811 Type genus Columba Linnaeus, 1758 Subfamilies See text Geographic range of the family Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes.[a] These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They feed largely on plant matter, feeding on seeds (granivory), fruit (frugivory), and foliage (folivory). In colloquial English, the smaller species tend to be called "doves", and the larger ones "pigeons",[2] although the distinction is not consistent,[2] and there is no scientific separation between them.[3] Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation. The bird most commonly referred to as "pigeon" is the domestic pigeon, descendant of the wild rock dove, which is a common inhabitant of cities as the feral pigeon. Columbidae contains 52 genera divided into 353 species.[4][5] The family occurs worldwide, often in close proximity to humans, but the greatest diversity is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. 118 species (34%) are at risk,[5] and 13 are extinct,[6] with the most famous examples being the dodo, a large, flightless, island bird, and the passenger pigeon, that once flocked in the billions. Etymology Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pīpiō , for a 'peeping' chick,[7] while dove, shared with Old Norse dūfa and Gothic dubo, is from a Proto-Germanic word imitative of the cooing calls of woodpigeon and stock dove.[8] The English dialectal word culver appears to derive from Latin columba.[7] A group of doves has sometimes been called a "dule", taken from the French word deuil ('mourning').[9] [page needed] Origin and evolution Columbiformes is one of the most diverse non-passerine clades of neoavians, and its origins are in the Cretaceous[10] and the result of a rapid diversification at the end of the K–Pg boundary.[11] Whole genome analyses have found Columbiformes is the sister clade to the clade Pteroclimesites a clade consisting the orders Pterocliformes (sandgrouses) and Mesitornithiformes (mesites).[12][13][14] The columbiform-pteroclimesitean clade, or Columbimorphae, monophyly has been supported from several studies.[12][13][15][16][17][18][19][20] Taxonomy and systematics See also: List of Columbidae genera and List of Columbidae species The name 'Columbidae' for the family was first used by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1819.[21][22] However, Illiger in 1811 established an older name for the family group ("Columbini") and would actually be the proper authority for Columbidae.[23] The interrelationships of columbids (between subfamilies) and the ergotaxonomy of them has been debated, with many different interpretations of how they should be classified. As many as five to six families, along with many subfamilies and tribes, have been used in the past including the family Raphidae for the dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire.[24][25][26] A 2024 paper on the systematics and nomenclature of the dodo and the solitaire from Young and colleagues also provided an overview of columbid family-group nomina. They recommended treatment in three subfamilies, Columbinae (typical doves and pigeons, quail-doves, and cuckoo-doves), Claravinae (American ground doves), and Raphinae (fruit doves, green pigeons, and relatives, all in the Old World and mostly tropical, including the dodo and solitaire).[23] A 2025 paper on the molecular phylogenetic placement of the Cuban endemic blue-headed quail-dove from Oswald and colleagues found the species to be a sister group to Columbinae, as opposed to being a true columbine or a raphine as previous authors have suggested in the past. These authors recommended that the blue-headed quail-dove should be placed in fourth monotypic subfamily, Starnoenadinae.[27] These taxonomic issues are exacerbated by columbids not being well represented in the fossil record,[28] with no truly primitive forms having been found to date. [citation needed] The genus Gerandia has been described from Early Miocene deposits in France, but while it was long believed to be a pigeon,[29] it is now considered a sandgrouse.[30] Fragmentary remains of a probably "ptilinopine" Early Miocene pigeon were found in the Bannockburn Formation of New Zealand and described as Rupephaps;[30] "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).[31] Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera.[32] The following genus level cladogram of the Columbidae is based mainly on a study by Andrew Sweet and collaborators that was published in 2026. The study sampled 43 of the 48 extant genera.[33] The fruit doves in the genus Ptilinopus have been split into four genera based on a study by Alice Cibois and collaborators that was published in 2014.[34] The number of species in each genus is taken from the taxonomy published by AviList in 2025.[4] The number of species in a genus are listed, unless it only has one species (monotypy): Columbidae Raphinae Treron – green pigeons (29 species) Chalcophaps – emerald doves (3 species) Oena – Namaqua dove Turtur – African wood doves (5 species) Otidiphaps – pheasant pigeon Trugon – thick-billed ground pigeon Caloenas – Nicobar and spotted green pigeons (1 species extant, 1 extinct) Goura – crowned pigeons (4 species) Megaloprepia – fruit doves (2 species) Ramphiculus – fruit doves (9 species) Alectroenas – blue pigeons (4 species) Ptilinopus – fruit doves (47 species) Ducula – imperial pigeons (42 species) Hemiphaga – New Zealand pigeons (2 species) Lopholaimus – topknot pigeon Gymnophaps – mountain pigeons (4 species) Phapitreron – brown doves (4 species) Gallicolumba – Pacific island ground doves and bleeding-hearts (7 species) Pampusana – Pacific island ground doves (13 species) Henicophaps – bronzewings (2 species) Leucosarcia – wonga pigeon Phaps – bronzewings (3 species) Geopelia – Australasian ground doves (5 species) Petrophassa – rock pigeons (2 species) Ocyphaps – crested pigeon Geophaps – Australian pigeons (3 species) Claravinae Claravis – blue ground dove Uropelia – long-tailed ground dove Paraclaravis – ground doves (2 species) Metriopelia – ground doves (4 species) Columbina – New World ground doves (9 species) Columbinae Geotrygon – quail-doves (9 species) Leptotrygon – olive-backed quail-dove Leptotila – New World doves (10 species) Zentrygon – quail-doves (8 species) Zenaida – Zenaida doves (7 species) Reinwardtoena – cuckoo-doves (3 species) Macropygia – cuckoo-doves (15 species) includes Turacoena (3 species) Patagioenas – New World pigeons (17 species) Columba – typical doves and pigeons (34 species) Columba iriditorques – western bronze-naped pigeon Aplopelia – lemon dove Nesoenas – Malagasy and Mascarene doves and pigeons (3 species) Spilopelia - doves (2 species) Streptopelia – turtle doves and collared doves (15 species) List of genera Subfamily Raphinae Oudemans, 1917 (1835) (Old World tropics doves and pigeons) Genus Treron (green pigeons, 29 species) Genus Chalcophaps (emerald doves, 3 species) Genus Oena (Namaqua dove) Genus Turtur (wood doves, 5 species) Genus Otidiphaps (pheasant pigeon) Genus Trugon (thick-billed ground pigeon) Genus Caloenas (Nicobar pigeon and the extinct spotted green pigeon) Genus Goura (crowned pigeons, 4 species) Genus Megaloprepia (fruit doves, 2 species) Genus Ramphiculus (fruit doves, 9 species) Genus Alectroenas (blue pigeons, 4 species) Genus Ptilinopus (fruit doves, 47 species) Genus Ducula (imperial pigeons, 42 species) Genus Hemiphaga (2 species) Genus Lopholaimus (topknot pigeon) Genus Gymnophaps (mountain pigeons, 4 species) Genus Phapitreron (brown doves, 3 species) Genus Gallicolumba (bleeding-hearts and allies, 7 species) Genus Pampusana (13 species of which 2 recently extinct) Genus Henicophaps (2 species) Genus Leucosarcia (wonga pigeon) Genus Phaps (Australian bronzewings, 3 species) Genus Geopelia (5 species) Genus Petrophassa (rock pigeons, 2 species) Genus Ocyphaps (crested pigeon) Genus Geophaps (3 species) Genus Drepanoptila (cloven-feathered dove) Genus Cryptophaps (sombre pigeon) Genus †Microgoura (Choiseul crested pigeon, extinct early 20th century) Genus Didunculus (tooth-billed pigeon) Genus †Raphus (dodo, extinct late 17th century) Genus †Pezophaps (Rodrigues solitaire, extinct c. 1730) Subfamily Claravinae Todd, 1913 (American ground doves) Genus Claravis (blue ground dove) Genus Uropelia (long-tailed ground dove) Genus Paraclaravis (2 species) Genus Metriopelia (4 species) Genus Columbina (9 species) Subfamily Columbinae Illiger, 1811 (typical pigeons and doves) Genus Geotrygon (quail-doves, 9 species) Genus Leptotrygon (olive-backed quail-dove) Genus Leptotila (doves, 11 species) Genus Zentrygon (quail-doves, 8 species) Genus Zenaida (Zenaida doves, 7 species) Genus Reinwardtoena (cuckoo-doves, 3 species) Genus Macropygia (cuckoo-doves, 15 species) Genus Turacoena (cuckoo-doves, 3 species) Genus Patagioenas (American pigeons, 17 species) Genus Columba (Old World pigeons, 34 species of which 2 recently extinct) Genus Aplopelia (lemon dove) Genus Nesoenas (doves and pigeons, 3 species of which one extinct) Genus Streptopelia (turtle doves and collared doves, 15 species) Genus †Ectopistes (passenger pigeon; extinct 1914) Genus Spilopelia (doves, 2 species) Species of uncertain placement Genus Starnoenas (blue-headed quail-dove) Fossil and prehistoric species Genus †Arenicolumba Steadman, 2008 (Miocene of Florida) Genus †Rupephaps Worthy, Hand, Worthy, Tennyson, & Scofield, 2009 (Miocene of New Zealand) Genus †Tongoenas Steadman & Takano, 2020 (Tongan giant pigeon) (prehistoric, extinct c. 850–600 BC), affinities to Raphinae Genus †Natunaornis (Viti Levu giant pigeon) (prehistoric extinct c. 3000 BC), affinities to Raphinae Genus †Bountyphaps Worthy & Wragg, 2008 (Henderson Island pigeon) (prehistoric, extinct c. 1000 AD), affinities to Raphinae Genus †Deliaphaps De Pietri, Scofield, Tennyson, Hand, & Worthy, 2017 (Zealandian dove, Miocene of New Zealand) Genus †Primophaps Worthy 2012 Late Oligocene of Australia Genus †Dysmoropelia Olson, 1975 (Saint Helena dove) (prehistoric extinct Late Pleistocene-Holocene), affinities to Columbinae Description Anatomy and physiology A landing collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) displays the contour and flight feathers of its wings. Overall, the anatomy of Columbidae is distinguished by short legs, short bills with a fleshy cere, and small heads on large, compact bodies.[35] Like some other birds, the Columbidae have no gall bladders.[36] 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.[37] In fact, however, they do have bile (as Aristotle had earlier realised), which is secreted directly into the gut.[38] [page needed] The wings of most species are large, and have eleven primary feathers;[39] pigeons have strong wing muscles (wing muscles comprise 31–44% of their body weight[40]) and are among the strongest fliers of all birds.[39] 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.[41] 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.[42] Feathers Pigeon feather types, excluding down Columbidae have unique body feathers, with the shaft being generally broad, strong, and flattened, tapering to a fine point, abruptly.[39] In general, the aftershaft is absent; however, small ones on some tail and wing feathers may be present.[43] Body feathers have very dense, fluffy bases, are attached loosely into the skin, and drop out easily.[44] Possibly serving as a predator avoidance mechanism,[45] large numbers of feathers fall out in the attacker's mouth if the bird is snatched, facilitating the bird's escape. The plumage of the family is variable.[46] Granivorous species tend to have dull plumage, with a few exceptions, whereas the frugivorous species have brightly coloured plumage.[47] [page needed] The genera Chalcophaps, Ptilinopus and Alectroenas include some of the most brightly coloured pigeons. Pigeons and doves may be sexually monochromatic or dichromatic.[48] In addition to bright colours, some pigeon species may have crests or other ornamentation.[49] Snow pigeons flying at an altitude of 3,700 metres (12,000 ft) above sea level Flight Many Columbidae are excellent fliers due to the lift provided by their large wings, which results in low wing loading.[50] They are highly maneuverable in flight[51] and have a low aspect ratio due to the width of their wings, allowing for quick flight launches and ability to escape from predators, but at a high energy cost.[52] A few species are long-distance migrants, with some populations of the European turtle dove migrating in excess of 5,000 km between northern Europe in summer and tropical Africa in winter, and the Oriental turtle dove nearly as far in eastern Asia between eastern Siberia and southern China. Size 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).[53] The largest extant species are the crowned pigeons of New Guinea,[54] which are nearly turkey-sized, with lengths of 66–79 cm (26–31 in) and weights ranging 1.8–4 kg (4.0–8.8 lb).[55][56][57] One of the largest arboreal species, the Marquesan imperial pigeon with a length of 55 cm (22 in), currently battles extinction.[58] [page needed][59] The extinct, flightless dodo is the largest columbid to have ever existed, with a height of about 62.6–75 cm (25–30 in), and a range of suggested weights from 10.2–27.8 kilograms (22–61 lb), although the higher estimates are thought to be based on overweight birds.[60][61][62][63] The least massive columbids belong to species in the genus Columbina; the common ground dove (Columbina passerina) which is only slightly larger than a house sparrow, weighing as little as 22 g (0.78 oz).[47]: 163 [64][65] The dwarf fruit dove, which may measure as little as 13 cm (5.1 in) long, has a marginally smaller total length than any other species from this family.[47]: 222 Diversity of pigeons and doves The Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is often stated to be the dodo's closest living relative. Snow pigeon (Columba leuconota) in Sela, Arunachal Pradesh The stock dove (Columba oenas) of Europe is a typical member of the Columbinae. The common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) is common throughout Europe. This one is eating Cotoneaster frigidus berries. The common ground dove (Columbina passerina) is one of the smallest species in the family. Nuku Hiva/Marquesan imperial pigeon (Ducula galeata) The Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) is one of the largest extant pigeons. The blue-headed quail-dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala) of Cuba is a relictual species with no close relatives. A red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) on the Zambezi in Zimbabwe. A spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) in Zhengzhou, China. Distribution and habitat Pigeons and doves are distributed everywhere on Earth, having adapted to most terrestrial habitats available on the planet, except for the driest areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica and its surrounding islands, and the high Arctic.[53] 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. Columbid species may be arboreal, terrestrial, or semi-terrestrial. They inhabit savanna, grassland, shrubland, desert, temperate woodland and forest, tropical rainforests, mangrove forest, and even the barren sands and gravels of atolls.[66] Some species have large natural ranges. The eared dove ranges across the entirety of South America from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego,[67] the Eurasian collared dove has a massive (if discontinuous) distribution from Britain across Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and China,[68] and the laughing dove across most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.[69] When including human-mediated introductions, the largest range of any species is that of the rock dove, also known as the common pigeon.[70] 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.[70] The range of the species increased dramatically upon domestication, as the species went feral in cities around the world.[70] The common pigeon 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.[70] A 2020 study found that the east coast of the United States includes two pigeon genetic megacities, in New York and Boston, and observes that the birds do not mix together.[71] As well as the rock dove, several other species of pigeon 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.[47] [page needed] Other species of Columbidae have tiny, restricted distributions, usually seen on small islands, such as the whistling dove, which is endemic to the tiny Kadavu Island in Fiji,[72] the Caroline ground dove, restricted to two islands, Truk and Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands,[73] and the Grenada dove, which is only found on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean.[74] Some continental species also have tiny distributions, such as the black-banded fruit dove, which is restricted to a small area of the Arnhem Land of Australia,[75] the Somali pigeon, found only in a tiny area of northern Somalia,[76] and Moreno's ground dove, endemic to the area around Salta and Tucuman in northern Argentina.[47]: 167 Behaviour Feeding White-bellied green pigeon (Treron sieboldii) feeding on fruit Pigeons and doves eat mainly seeds and fruit.[53] The family can be loosely divided between seed-eating (granivorous) species, and fruit-and-mast-eating (frugivorous) species, though many species consume both.[77] The granivorous species typically feed on seed found on the ground, whereas the frugivorous species are more arboreal, tending to feed in trees.[77] The morphological adaptations used to distinguish between the two groups include granivores tending to having thick walls in their gizzards, intestines, and esophagi, with the frugivores evolved with thin walls,[53] and the fruit-eating species have short intestines, as opposed to the seed eaters having longer intestines.[78] Frugivores are capable of clinging to branches and even hang upside down to reach fruit.[47] [page needed][77] 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.[77] One species, the atoll fruit dove, is specialised in taking insect and reptile prey.[77] Snails, moths, and other insects are taken by white-crowned pigeons, orange fruit doves, and ruddy ground doves.[47] [page needed] Flowers are also taken by some species.[5] Urban feral pigeons, descendants of domestic rock doves (Columbia livia), reside in urban environments, disturbing their natural feeding habits. They depend on human activities and interactions to obtain food, causing them to forage for spilled food or food provided by humans.[79] Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) on its nest, with one unhatched egg and one hatchling Reproduction Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, often using sticks, other vegetable matter, and other debris, which may be placed on trees, on rocky ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. Some, like the stock dove, also nest in tree cavities.[80] The female may either build the nest, with material gathered by the male, or the male builds the nest by himself. A few species nest colonially, others nest in aggregation.[5] Most lay a clutch of one or (usually) two white eggs at a time which take 11–30 days to hatch (larger species have longer incubation times). Both parents care for the young; unlike most birds, both sexes of doves and pigeons produce "crop milk" to feed their young. This fluid is secreted by a sloughing of epithelial cells from the lining of the crop.[5] Unfledged baby doves and pigeons are called squabs and are generally able to fly by five weeks old. These fledglings, with their immature squeaking voices, are called squeakers once they are weaned,[81] and leave the nest after 25–32 days. Status and conservation 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.[82] 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.[82][5] 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[82] even though it was once the most numerous species of bird on Earth.[83] Its former numbers are difficult to estimate, but one ornithologist, Alexander Wilson, estimated one flock he observed contained over two billion birds.[84] 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.[85] 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. [citation needed] The Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni) is extinct in the wild. The dodo, and its extinction, was more typical of the extinctions of pigeons in general. Like many species that colonise remote islands with few predators, it lost much of its predator avoidance behaviour, along with its ability to fly.[86] 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 many other island species that have become extinct.[86] 118 columbid species are at risk (34% of the total), with 48 species NT, 40 VU, 18 EN, 11 CR, and 1 EW.[5] 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.[86] 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.[87] In some areas, a lack of knowledge means the true status of a species is unknown (DD); the Negros fruit dove has not been seen since 1953,[88] 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.[89] 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.[86][90] Domestication Main article: Domestic pigeon The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is a descendant of the rock dove (Columba livia) that underwent domestication, with studies suggesting domestication as early as 10 thousand years ago. Domestic pigeons have long been a part of human culture; doves were important symbols of the goddesses Innana, Asherah, and Aphrodite, and revered by the early Christian, Islamic and Jewish religions. Domestication of pigeons led to significant use of homing pigeons for communication, including war pigeons, such as the 32 pigeons who were awarded the Dickin Medal for "brave service" to their country, in World War II. The barbary dove is a smaller species of domestic columbid that was kept as a source of food. As a result of selection for tame individuals who would not escape their cages, they lack a survival instinct and cannot survive release.[91] See also Birds portal List of Columbidae species List of Columbiformes by population Dinosaur, 2024 pigeon statue exhibited in New York City Notes ↑ It was once thought that the dodo, Rodrigues solitaire, and Réunion solitaire may constitute a separate family Raphidae within order Columbiformes, however genetic analysis has made it clear that the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire are in the family Columbidae, subtribe Raphina, and the Réunion solitaire, once identified, was found to not be a columbiform at all, instead an ibis in family Threskiornithidae, order Pelecaniformes. References ↑ Farner, Donald (2012). Avian Biology. Elsevier. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-323-15799-5. 1 2 McDonald, Hannah (17 August 2008). "What's the Difference Between Pigeons and Doves?". Big Questions. Mental Floss. ↑ Tom Hibbert (17 October 2023). "Dove vs pigeon – what's the difference between these two cooing birds? – Discover Wildlife". Discover Wildlife. Retrieved 30 November 2023. 1 2 AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Winkler, David W.; Billerman, Shawn M.; Lovette, Irby J. "Order Columbiformes Columbidae Pigeons and Doves". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.columb2.01. Retrieved 16 February 2025. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 27 February 2020. 1 2 Harper, Douglas. "pigeon". Online Etymology Dictionary. ↑ Lockwood, William Burley (1984). The Oxford Book of British Bird Names. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, USA. p. 54. ISBN 0-19-214155-4. ↑ Lipton, James (1991). An Exaltation of Larks. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-30044-0. ↑ Pereira, S.L. et al. (2007) Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences support a Cretaceous origin of Columbiformes and a dispersal-driven radiation in the Paleocene. Syst Biol. 56:656–72 ↑ Soares, A.E.R. et al. (2016) Complete mitochondrial genomes of living and extinct pigeons revise the timing of the columbiform radiation. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16(230). 1 2 Jarvis, E.D.; et al. (2014). "Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds". Science. 346 (6215): 1320–1331. Bibcode:2014Sci...346.1320J. doi:10.1126/science.1253451. PMC 4405904. PMID 25504713. 1 2 Prum, R.O.; et al. (2015). "A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing". Nature. 526 (7574): 569–573. Bibcode:2015Natur.526..569P. doi:10.1038/nature15697. PMID 26444237. S2CID 205246158. ↑ Sangster, G.; Braun, E.L.; Johansson, U.S.; Kimball, R.T.; Mayr, G.; Suh, A. (2022). "Phylogenetic definitions for 25 higher-level clade names of birds". Avian Research. 13 100027. Bibcode:2022AvRes..1300027S. doi:10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100027. ↑ Reddy, Sushma; Kimball, Rebecca T.; Pandey, Akanksha; Hosner, Peter A.; Braun, Michael J.; Hackett, Shannon J.; Han, Kin-Lan; Harshman, John; Huddleston, Christopher J.; Kingston, Sarah; Marks, Ben D.; Miglia, Kathleen J.; Moore, William S.; Sheldon, Frederick H.; Witt, Christopher C.; Yuri, Tamaki; Braun, Edward L. (2017). "Why Do Phylogenomic Data Sets Yield Conflicting Trees? Data Type Influences the Avian Tree of Life more than Taxon Sampling". Systematic Biology. 66 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syx041. ISSN 1063-5157. PMID 28369655. ↑ Braun, Edward L.; Cracraft, Joel; Houde, Peter (2019). "Resolving the Avian Tree of Life from Top to Bottom: The Promise and Potential Boundaries of the Phylogenomic Era". Avian Genomics in Ecology and Evolution. pp. 151–210. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16477-5_6. ISBN 978-3-030-16476-8. S2CID 198399272. ↑ Suh, Alexander (2016). "The phylogenomic forest of bird trees contains a hard polytomy at the root of Neoaves". Zoologica Scripta. 45: 50–62. doi:10.1111/zsc.12213. ISSN 0300-3256. ↑ Houde, Peter; Braun, Edward L.; Narula, Nitish; Minjares, Uriel; Mirarab, Siavash (2019). "Phylogenetic Signal of Indels and the Neoavian Radiation". Diversity. 11 (7): 108. Bibcode:2019Diver..11..108H. doi:10.3390/d11070108. ISSN 1424-2818. ↑ Wu, S.; Rheindt, F.E.; Zhang, J.; Wang, J.; Zhang, L.; Quan, C.; Zhiheng, L.; Wang, M.; Wu, F.; Qu, Y; Edwards, S.V.; Zhou, Z.; Liu, L. (2024). "Genomes, fossils, and the concurrent rise of modern birds and flowering plants in the Late Cretaceous". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 121 (8) e2319696121. Bibcode:2024PNAS..12119696W. doi:10.1073/pnas.2319696121. PMC 10895254. PMID 38346181. ↑ Stiller J, et al. (2024). "Complexity of avian evolution revealed by family-level genomes". Nature. 629 (8013): 851–860. Bibcode:2024Natur.629..851S. doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07323-1. PMC 11111414. PMID 38560995. ↑ Leach, William Elford (1819). "Eleventh Room". Synopsis of the Contents of the British Museum (15th ed.). London: British Museum. pp. 63–68 [66]. Although the name of the author is not specified in the document, Leach was the Keeper of Zoology at the time. ↑ Bock, Walter J. (1994). History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 222. New York: American Museum of Natural History. pp. 139, 245. hdl:2246/830. 1 2 Young, Mark T; Hume, Julian P; Day, Michael O; Douglas, Robert P; Simmons, Zoë M; White, Judith; Heller, Markus O; Gostling, Neil J (2024). "The systematics and nomenclature of the Dodo and the Solitaire (Aves: Columbidae), and an overview of columbid family-group nomina". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 201 (4) zlae086. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae086. ↑ Allen, Barbara (2009). Pigeon. Reaktion Books. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-86189-711-4. ↑ Janoo, Anwar (2005). "Discovery of isolated dodo bones Raphus cucullatus (L.), Aves, Columbiformes from Mauritius cave shelters highlights human predation, with a comment on the status of the family Raphidae Wetmore, 1930". Annales de Paléontologie. 91 (2): 167. Bibcode:2005AnPal..91..167J. doi:10.1016/j.annpal.2004.12.002. ↑ Cheke, Anthony; Hume, Julian P. (2010). Lost Land of the Dodo: The Ecological History of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-4081-3305-7. ↑ Oswald, J.A.; Boyd, B.M.; Szewczak, A.R.; LeFebvre, M.J.; Stucky, B.J.; Guralnick, R.P.; Johnson, K.P.; Allen, J.M.; Steadman, D.W. (2025). "Genomic data reveal that the Cuban blue-headed quail-dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala) is a biogeographic relict". Biology Letters. 21 (1) 20240464. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2024.0464. PMC 11706640. PMID 39772915. ↑ Fountaine, Toby M. R.; Benton, Michael J.; Dyke, Gareth J.; Nudds, Robert L. (2005). "The quality of the fossil record of Mesozoic birds". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 272 (1560): 289–294. doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2923. PMC 1634967. PMID 15705554. ↑ Olson, Storrs L. (1985). "The fossil record of birds". In Farmer, Donald S.; King, James R.; Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.). Avian Biology, Vol. VIII. Academic Press. pp. 79–238. hdl:10088/6553. ISBN 978-0-12-249408-6. The earliest dove yet known, from the early Miocene (Aquitanian) of France, was a small species named Columba calcaria by Milne-Edwards (1867–1871) from a single humerus, for which Lambrecht (1933) later created the genus Gerandia 1 2 Worthy, Trevor H.; Hand, Suzanne J.; Worthy, Jennifer P.; Tennyson, Alan J. D.; Scofield, R. Paul (2009). "A large fruit pigeon (Columbidae) from the Early Miocene of New Zealand". The Auk. 126 (3): 649–656. Bibcode:2009Auk...126..649W. doi:10.1525/auk.2009.08244. S2CID 86799657. Because Columba calcaria Milne-Edwards, 1867–1871, from the Lower Miocene at Saint-Gérand-le-Puy in France, is now also considered a sandgrouse, as Gerandia calcaria (Mlíkovský 2002), there is no pre-Pliocene columbid record in Europe. ↑ "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Ecological Register. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2021. ↑ Mayr, Gerald (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer. p. 110. ISBN 978-3-540-89628-9. ↑ Sweet, A.D.; Topchyan, M.; Johnson, K.P.; Boyd, B.M. (2026). "Phylogenomic analysis of pigeons and doves (Columbiformes) informs molecular evolution of a potential magnetoreceptor". Ornithology ukag014. doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukag014. ↑ Cibois, A.; Thibault, J.-C.; Bonillo, C.; Filardi, C.E.; Watling, D.; Pasquet, E. (2014). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the fruit doves (Aves: Columbidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 70: 442–453. Bibcode:2014MolPE..70..442C. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.08.019. PMID 24012584. ↑ Smith, Paul. "COLUMBIDAE Pigeons and Doves". Fauna Paraguay. ↑ Hagey, LR; Schteingart, CD; Ton-Nu, HT; Hofmann, AF (1994). "Biliary bile acids of fruit pigeons and doves (Columbiformes)". Journal of Lipid Research. 35 (11): 2041–8. doi:10.1016/S0022-2275(20)39950-8. PMID 7868982. ↑ "Doves". The Medieval Bestiary. Retrieved 31 January 2010. ↑ Browne, Thomas (1646). Pseudodoxia Epidemica. Vol. III.iii (1672 ed.). University of Chicago. Retrieved 31 January 2010. 1 2 3 "Columbiformes (Pigeons, Doves, and Dodos) – Dictionary definition of Columbiformes (Pigeons, Doves, and Dodos)". Encyclopedia.com. ↑ Clairmont, Patsy (2014). Twirl: A Fresh Spin at Life. Harper Collins. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8499-2299-2. ↑ "Why do pigeons bob their heads when they walk? Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress". Library of Congress. ↑ Necker, R (2007). "Head-bobbing of walking birds" (PDF). Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 193 (12): 1177–83. doi:10.1007/s00359-007-0281-3. PMID 17987297. S2CID 10803990. ↑ Schodde, Richard; Mason, I. J. (1997). Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). Csiro Publishing. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-643-06037-1. ↑ Skutch, A. F. (1964). "Life Histories of Central American Pigeons" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 76 (3): 211. ↑ "Pigeon". DiversityofLife2012. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2017. ↑ Hilty, Steven L. (2002). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press. p. 316. ISBN 978-1-4008-3409-9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Baptista, L. F.; Trail, P. W.; Horblit, H. M. (1997). "Family Columbidae (Doves and Pigeons)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of birds of the world. Vol. 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-87334-22-1. ↑ Valdez, Diego Javier; Benitez-Vieyra, Santiago Miguel (2016). "A Spectrophotometric Study of Plumage Color in the Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata), the Most Abundant South American Columbiforme". PLOS ONE. 11 (5) e0155501. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1155501V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155501. PMC 4877085. PMID 27213273. ↑ "Pigeon family Columbidae". Creagrus@Monterey Bay. ↑ Alerstam, Thomas (1993). Bird Migration. Cambridge University Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-521-44822-2. ↑ Forshaw, Joseph; Cooper, William (2015). Pigeons and Doves in Australia. Csiro Publishing. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-4863-0405-9. ↑ Pap, Péter L.; Osváth, Gergely; Sándor, Krisztina; Vincze, Orsolya; Bărbos, Lőrinc; Marton, Attila; Nudds, Robert L.; Vágási, Csongor I. (2015). Williams, Tony (ed.). "Interspecific variation in the structural properties of flight feathers in birds indicates adaptation to flight requirements and habitat". Functional Ecology. 29 (6): 746–757. Bibcode:2015FuEco..29..746P. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12419. 1 2 3 4 "Columbidae (doves and pigeons)". Animal Diversity Web. ↑ "Victoria crowned-pigeon videos, photos and facts – Goura victoria". Arkive. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017. ↑ "Southern crowned-pigeon videos, photos and facts – Goura scheepmakeri". Arkive. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017. ↑ Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H.M.; Kirwan, Guy M.; Bonan, Arnau (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Western Crowned-Pigeon Goura cristata". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.wecpig1.01. Retrieved 16 February 2025. ↑ Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H.M.; Kirwan, Guy M.; Garcia, Ernest (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Scheepmaker's Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.soucrp2.01. Retrieved 16 February 2025. ↑ Thorsen, M., Blanvillain, C., & Sulpice, R. (2002). Reasons for decline, conservation needs, and a translocation of the critically endangered upe (Marquesas imperial pigeon, Ducula galeata), French Polynesia. Department of Conservation. ↑ "Nuku Hiva Imperial-Pigeon Ducula galeata". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.marimp1.01. Retrieved 16 February 2025. ↑ Hume, J. P. (2017). Extinct Birds. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 155–158. ISBN 978-1-4729-3744-5. ↑ Parish, Jolyon C. (2013). The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History. Bloomington (US): Indiana University Press. pp. 265–282. ISBN 978-0-253-00099-6. ↑ Angst, D.; Buffetaut, E.; Abourachid, A. (March 2011). "The end of the fat dodo? A new mass estimate for Raphus cucullatus". Naturwissenschaften. 98 (3): 233–236. Bibcode:2011NW.....98..233A. doi:10.1007/s00114-010-0759-7. PMID 21240603. S2CID 29215473. ↑ Kitchener, A. C. (28 August 1993). "Justice at last for the dodo". New Scientist. p. 24. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2017.(subscription required) ↑ "The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago: Columbina minuta (Plain-breasted Ground Dove)" (PDF). The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Retrieved 14 February 2025. ↑ Soberanes-González, C.; Rodríguez-Flores, C.; Arizmendi, M.C. "Plain-breasted Ground-Dove (Columbina minuta)". Neotropical Birds Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 14 February 2025. ↑ "Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae) – Dictionary definition of Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)". Encyclopedia.com. ↑ "Zenaida auriculata (eared dove)". Animal Diversity Web. ↑ Vijay Choudhary (5 February 2019). "Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) detail". Abhinav Nature Conservation. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. ↑ "Laughing Dove This Bird Is Native To Subsaharan Africa The Middle East And India Where It Is Known As The Little Brown Dove It Inhabits Scrubland And Feeds On Grass Seeds And Grain Stock Photo". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017. 1 2 3 4 "Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) aka Feral or Domestic Pigeons". Beauty of Birds. 16 September 2021. ↑ Sokol, Joshua (23 April 2020). "New York and Boston Pigeons Don't Mix". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 April 2020. ↑ "Whistling Fruit Doves". Beauty of Birds. 16 September 2021. ↑ Gibbs, David (2010). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 406. ISBN 978-1-4081-3555-6. ↑ "Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) – BirdLife species factsheet". Datazone Birdlife. ↑ Schodde, Richard; Mason, I. J. (1997). Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). Csiro Publishing. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-643-06037-1. ↑ Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H. M.; Sharpe, Christopher J.; Boesman, Peter F. D.; Garcia, Ernest (4 March 2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Somali Pigeon (Columba oliviae)". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.sompig1.01. S2CID 240954419. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pigeons And Doves – What's The Differance?". birdsofeden.co.za. 22 July 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2017. ↑ Campbell, Bruce; Lack, Elizabeth (2010). A Dictionary of Birds. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-4081-3838-0. ↑ Belguermi, Ahmed; Bovet, Dalila; Anouck, Pascal; Prevot-Julliard, Anne-Caroline; Jalme, Michel Saint; Rat-Fishcer, Lauriane; Leboucher, Gerard (2011). "Pigeons discriminate between human feeders". Animal Cognition. 14 (6): 909–914. doi:10.1007/s10071-011-0420-7. PMID 21647649. S2CID 8632076. ↑ Svensson, Lars; Mullarney, Killian; Zetterstroem, Dan (16 March 2023). Collins Bird Guide. William Collins. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-00-854746-2. ↑ Crome, Francis H.J. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 115–116. ISBN 978-1-85391-186-6. 1 2 3 "Species Extinction Time Line | Animals Lost Since 1600". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. ↑ Hung, Chih-Ming; Shaner, Pei-Jen L.; Zink, Robert M.; Liu, Wei-Chung; Chu, Te-Chin; Huang, Wen-San; Li, Shou-Hsien (16 June 2014). "Drastic population fluctuations explain the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 111 (29): 10636–10641. Bibcode:2014PNAS..11110636H. doi:10.1073/pnas.1401526111. PMC 4115547. PMID 24979776. ↑ "The Birds". The New Yorker. 6 January 2014. ↑ "Passenger Pigeon". Nebraska Bird Library. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. 1 2 3 4 Gibbs, David (2010). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. A&C Black. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-4081-3556-3. ↑ BirdLife International (2009). "Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni". Data Zone. BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2009. ↑ "Ptilinopus arcanus (Negros Fruit-dove, Negros Fruit Dove, Negros Fruit-Dove)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. October 2016. ↑ "Alopecoenas erythropterus (Polynesian Ground-dove, Polynesian Ground Dove, Polynesian Ground-Dove, Society Islands Ground-dove, White-collared Ground-dove)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. October 2017. ↑ Tidemann, Sonia C.; Gosler, Andrew (2012). Ethno-ornithology: "Birds, Indigenous Peoples, Culture and Society". Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-136-54384-5. ↑ Brough, Clarice. "White Dove". Animal World. Archived from the original on 4 January 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2022. Further reading Blechman, Andrew, Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird (Grove Press 2007) ISBN 978-0-8021-4328-0 Gibbs, Barnes and Cox, Pigeons and Doves (Pica Press 2001) ISBN 1-873403-60-7 External links Columbidae at Wikipedia's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Taxa from Wikispecies Columbidae.org.uk Conservation of pigeons and doves Dove videos on the Internet Bird Collection The differences between doves & pigeons Pigeon Fact Sheet from the National Pest Management Association with information on habits, habitat and health threats "Pigeon breeds: from the NPA Standard – Table of Contents by Groups". American National Pigeon Association. 2014. "British Pigeon Show Society Hall of Fame, Show Categories and Trophies". British Pigeon Show Society. 2014. "},"publisher":{"wt":"Entente Européenne d'Áviculture et de Cuniculture"}},"i":0}}]}'/"List of the Breeds of Fancy Pigeons" (PDF). Entente Européenne d'Áviculture et de Cuniculture. 1 October 2009. The Complete Guide To Pigeons (Columbidae) v t e Pigeons and doves (Columbidae) Common Domestic Feral New York City Life and behavior Crop milk Intelligence Olfactory navigation Sarcocystis calchasi Breeds and types Fancy Fantail Pouter Trumpeter Flying/Sporting Roller Tippler Tumbler Homing Utility Squab Relationship with humans As food Domestication Dovecote IP over Avian Carriers Fancying Bird fancier's lung Photography Post Sport Clay pigeon Racing Shooting Pigeon whistle Release dove Symbols War Project Pigeon Organizations American Racing Pigeon Union National Pigeon Service Royal Pigeon Racing Association British Homing World Show of the Year Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons United States Army Pigeon Service Up North Combine Related Wild pigeon genera Wild pigeon species Category v t e Birds (class: Aves) Outline Anatomy Beak Brain Crop milk Dactyly Eggs Feathers Flight Preen gland Plumage Vision Behaviour Singing Intelligence Migration Foraging Sexual selection Lek mating Seabird breeding Incubation Brood parasites Nesting Hybrids Colony Evolution Origin of birds Theropoda dinosaurs Origin of flight Evolution of birds Feathered dinosaurs Darwin's finches Seabirds Fossil birds Archaeopteryx Omnivoropterygiformes Jeholornithidae Confuciusornithiformes Enantiornithes Chaoyangiformes Patagopterygiformes Ambiortiformes Songlingornithiformes Hongshanornithidae Gansuiformes Ichthyornithiformes Hesperornithes Lithornithiformes Dinornithiformes Aepyornithiformes Gastornithiformes Human interaction Ringing Ornithology Ornithomancy Bird collections Birdwatching big year Bird feeding Conservation Aviculture Waterfowl hunting Cockfighting Pigeon racing Falconry Pheasantry Imping Egg collecting Lists Families and orders Genera Glossary of bird terms List by population Lists by region Extinct species since 1500 Late Quaternary prehistoric birds Notable birds individuals fictional Neornithes Palaeognathae Struthioniformes (ostriches) Rheiformes (rheas) Tinamiformes (tinamous) Apterygiformes (kiwis) Casuariiformes (emus and cassowaries) Neognathae Galloanserae(fowls) Anseriformes (waterfowls) Anatidae (ducks) Anatinae Aythyini Mergini Oxyurini Anserinae swans true geese Dendrocygninae Stictonettinae Tadorninae Anhimidae Anhima Chauna Anseranatidae Anseranas Galliformes (landfowls) Cracidae Cracinae Oreophasinae Penelopinae Megapodidae Aepypodius Alectura Eulipoa Leipoa Macrocephalon Megapodius Talegalla Numididae Acryllium Agelastes Guttera Numida Odontophoridae Callipepla Colinus Cyrtonyx Dactylortyx Dendrortyx Odontophorus Oreortyx Philortyx Rhynchortyx Phasianidae Meleagridinae (turkeys) Perdicinae Phasianinae (pheasants and relatives) Tetraoninae Neoaves Columbea Columbimorphae Columbiformes (doves and pigeons) Mesitornithiformes (mesites) Pterocliformes (sandgrouse) Mirandornithes Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos) Podicipediformes (grebes) Passerea Otidimorphae Cuculiformes (cuckoos) Musophagiformes (turacos) Otidiformes (bustards) Strisores Caprimulgiformes (nightjars and relatives) Steatornithiformes (oilbirds) Nyctibiiformes (potoos) Podargiformes (frogmouths) Aegotheliformes (owlet-nightjars) Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) Opisthocomiformes Opisthocomiformes (hoatzins) Cursorimorphae Charadriiformes (gulls and relatives) Gruiformes (cranes and relatives) Phaethontimorphae Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) Eurypygiformes (kagus and sunbitterns) Aequornithes Gaviiformes (loons or divers) Sphenisciformes (penguins) Procellariiformes (albatrosses and petrels) Ciconiiformes (storks) Suliformes (cormorants and relatives) Pelecaniformes (pelicans and relatives) Australaves Cariamiformes (seriemas and relatives) Falconiformes (falcons and relatives) Psittaciformes (parrots) Passeriformes (perching birds) Afroaves Accipitriformes (raptors) Strigiformes (owls) Coliiformes (mousebirds) Trogoniformes (trogons and quetzals) Leptosomiformes (cuckoo-rollers) Bucerotiformes (hornbills and hoopoes) Coraciiformes (kingfishers and rollers) Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives) Category Commons Portal WikiProject Taxon identifiersColumbidae Wikidata: Q10856 Wikispecies: Columbidae AFD: Columbidae BOLD: 1462 CoL: 8GD EoL: 7978 EPPO: 1COLUF Fauna Europaea: 10794 Fauna Europaea (new): 7c26493e-e864-448f-a72f-a17d82af9471 GBIF (old): 5233 iNaturalist: 2715 IRMNG: 101600 ITIS: 177061 NBN: NBNSYS0000159738 NCBI: 8930 NZOR: 0263d302-5e5b-446f-b7d3-f0bdb89fbd39 Open Tree of Life: 938413 Paleobiology Database: 39353 WoRMS: 196065 Authority control databases International GNDNational Columbidae</span"}]]}'United States Columbidés</span"}]]}'France Columbidés</span"}]]}'BnF data holubovití</span"}]]}'Czech Republic Colúmbidos</span"}]]}'Spain IsraelOther NARA Yale LUX Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Columbidae&oldid=1363678087" Categories: Columbidae Bird families Game birds National symbols of Cyprus National symbols of Fiji National symbols of Guinea National symbols of Tonga Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by William Elford Leach Peace symbols Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism Good articles Use dmy dates from June 2026 Articles with 'species' microformats Articles containing French-language text Articles containing Latin-language text Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2025 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2019 CS1: long volume value Pages containing links to subscription-only content CS1: unfit URL Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 This page was last edited on 11 July 2026, at 17:15 (UTC). 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