Arikah Map

Dove

For other uses, see Dove (disambiguation).
"Pigeon" redirects here. For other uses, see Pigeon (disambiguation).
iPigeons and Doves
Dove:Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
subfamily

see article text

Dove:Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University (2002)
Enlarge
Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University (2002)

Pigeons and doves are some 300 species of near passerine birds in the order Columbiformes. In general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological practice there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically the common names for these birds involve much variation between "dove" and "pigeon".

The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

The usually flimsy nests are made of sticks, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes. Doves feed on seeds, fruit and other soft plantstuff. Unlike most other birds (but see flamingo), the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk", which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.

This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. It is related to the extinct dodo. The young doves and pigeons are called "squabs".


Contents

Systematics and evolution

The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, but this is probably inaccurate. For example, the American ground and quail doves which are usually placed in the Columbinae seem to be two distinct subfamilies[1].The order presented here follows Baptista et al. (1997) with some updates (Johnson & Clayton, 2000; Johnson et al., 2001; Shapiro et al., 2002).

Note that 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. This ambiguity, probably caused by Long branch attraction, on the other hand seems to confirm that 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.

Exacerbating these issues, columbids are not well represented in the fossil record. No really primitive forms have been found to date. The genus Gerandia which most likely belongs to the Columbinae has been described from Early Miocene deposits of France. Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. For these, and for the considerable number of more recently extinct prehistoric species, see the respective genus accounts.

Subfamily Columbinae—typical pigeons & doves

Dove:A feral pigeon Columba livia domestica in a city park.
Enlarge
A feral pigeon Columba livia domestica in a city park.

Genus Columba (Old World pigeons)

Dove:White-headed pigeon, Columba leucomela.
Enlarge
White-headed pigeon, Columba leucomela.
Dove:Feral pigeons in Kraków, Poland.
Enlarge
Feral pigeons in Kraków, Poland.
Dove:Barbary Dove (or Domestic Ringneck), Streptopelia risoria, native to South Africa.
Enlarge
Barbary Dove (or Domestic Ringneck), Streptopelia risoria, native to South Africa.

Genus Streptopelia (turtledoves)

Genus Patagioenas (American pigeons; formerly included in Columba)

Dove:Brown Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia phasianella.
Enlarge
Brown Cuckoo-dove, Macropygia phasianella.

Genus Macropygia

Genus Reinwardtoena

Genus Turacoena

Subfamily N.N.—Bronzewings and relatives

Genus Turtur (African wood doves; subfamily assignment unclear)

Genus Oena (subfamily assignment unclear)

Dove:Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica, native to tropical southern Asia and Australia.
Enlarge
Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica, native to tropical southern Asia and Australia.

Genus Chalcophaps

Genus Henicophaps

Genus Phaps

Genus Ocyphaps

Genus Geophaps

Genus Petrophassa, rock pigeons

Dove:Bar-shouldered Dove, Geopelia humeralis, native to Australia.
Enlarge
Bar-shouldered Dove, Geopelia humeralis, native to Australia.

Genus Geopelia

Subfamily Leptotilinae—Zenaidine and quail doves

Genus Zenaida

Dove:Nestlings and mother Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Enlarge
Nestlings and mother Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Genus Ectopistes

Genus Leptotila

Genus Geotrygon, quail-doves

Genus Starnoenas

Subfamily Columbininae—American ground doves

Genus Columbina

Genus Claravis

Genus Metropelia

Genus Scardafella

Genus Uropelia

Subfamily N.N.—Indopacific ground doves

Dove:Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon Gallicolumba criniger, native to the Philippines.
Enlarge
Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon Gallicolumba criniger, native to the Philippines.

Genus Gallicolumba

Genus Trugon

Subfamily Otidiphabinae—Pheasant Pigeon

Genus Otidiphaps

Subfamily Didunculinae—tooth-billed pigeon

Genus Didunculus

Subfamily Gourinae—crowned pigeons

Dove:Victoria Crowned Pigeon Goura victoria in a zoo aviary.
Enlarge
Victoria Crowned Pigeon Goura victoria in a zoo aviary.

Genus Goura

Subfamily N.N. ("Treroninae")—green and fruit doves and imperial pigeons

Genus Ducula (imperial pigeons)

Dove:Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea paulina. Other names for this bird are Celebes Imperial Pigeon, Celebes Green Imperial Pigeon and Green Imperial Pigeon.
Enlarge
Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea paulina. Other names for this bird are Celebes Imperial Pigeon, Celebes Green Imperial Pigeon and Green Imperial Pigeon.
Dove:Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor.
Enlarge
Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor.

Genus Lopholaimus

Dove:Kererū, New Zealand Pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae.
Enlarge
Kererū, New Zealand Pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae.

Genus Hemiphaga

Genus Cryptophaps

Genus Gymnophaps (mountain pigeons)

Genus Ptilinopus (fruit doves)

Dove:Male Pink-headed Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus porphyreus
Enlarge
Male Pink-headed Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus porphyreus

Genus Natunaornis

Genus Drepanoptila

Genus Alectroenas (blue pigeons)

Placement unresolved

Dove:Nicobar Pigeon
Enlarge
Nicobar Pigeon

Genus Caloenas

Genus Treron (green pigeons)

Genus Phapitreron (brown doves)

Dove:Wonga Pigeon, Leucosarcia melanoleuca, native to Australia.
Enlarge
Wonga Pigeon, Leucosarcia melanoleuca, native to Australia.

Genus Leucosarcia

Genus Microgoura

Genus Dysmoropelia

Genus indeterminate


Doves as food

Several species of pigeon or dove are used as food, and probably any could be; the powerful breast muscles characteristic of the family make excellent meat. In Europe the Wood Pigeon is commonly shot as a game bird, while Rock Pigeons were originally domesticated as a food species, and many breeds were developed for their meat-bearing qualities. The extinction of the Passenger Pigeon was at least partly due to shooting for use as food.

Doves are Kosher, and they and Turtle Doves are the only birds that may be used for a Korban. Other Kosher birds may be eaten, but not brought as a Korban.


Trivia

Dove:A traditional pigeonhouse in Meybod, Yazd, Iran.
Enlarge
A traditional pigeonhouse in Meybod, Yazd, Iran.


References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Basically, the conventional treatment had 2 large subfamilies, one for the fruit-doves, imperial pigeons and fruit-pigeons, and another for nearly all of the remaining species. Additionally, there were 3 monotypic subfamilies, one each for the genera Goura, Otidiphaps and Didunculus. The old subfamily Columbinae consists of 5 distinct lineages, whereas the other 4 groups are more or less accurate representations of the evolutionary relationships.

See also

Miscellaneous

Categories


Columbidae | Heraldic birds | Peace symbols | Game birds

Find

Find

Find