Columbidae – Doves and Pigeons

The Ubiquitous Rock Dove and Other Pigeon Species

Sep 5, 2007 Rosemary Drisdelle

The Columbidae, pigeons and doves, have played a large part in human cultures all over the world. A diverse and fascinating group, they are both loved and despised.

City pigeons, Rock Doves, Passenger Pigeons, Turtle Doves—what’s the difference between a pigeon and a dove? In a word, none. They are literally the same thing. There is no better example of this than the common pigeon seen in virtually every city on Earth: usually just called “pigeons” these birds are descended from domesticated Rock Doves.

Birding authorities often explain that smaller members of the Columbidae are generally referred to as doves, while larger species are called pigeons, but all admit that the distinction is unreliable. Another explanation is that doves are ground dwellers, while pigeons are tree dwellers: again, the rule is often broken. In literature and art, the distinction is one of good versus evil: pigeons are unattractive pests with dirty habits; doves are beautiful, romantic, desirable birds. In the end, the debate is all semantics—there is no difference between a pigeon and a dove.

Pigeons and people

Several species of pigeon have had a huge impact on human cultures. They have been domesticated, eaten, hunted for sport, used as messengers, immortalized in art and literature, and despised as pests. Here are some of the pigeons that are well known to humans:

• Rock Doves. Rock Doves, Columba livia, are native to Europe. In the wild, the species nests on cliffs and in caves. These birds were domesticated and many returned to the wild, creating the despised city pigeon, or feral Rock Dove (or Rock Pigeon), which nests on buildings and bridges almost everywhere. The domesticated birds have been bred to produce various useful breeds, including racing pigeons, homing (carrier) pigeons, and domestic fowl for the table. The dove that Noah released in the famous biblical story of Noah’s Ark was probably a Rock Dove.
• Ring-necked Doves. Native to Africa, Ring-necked Doves, Streptopelia capicola are usually brownish grey with a black streak across the back of the neck. A white colour variation of this species has been bred for pets and birds for magic acts etc. These white birds are also an internationally recognized symbol for peace.
• Passenger Pigeons. Once extremely abundant in North America, the Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, was hunted for the table with such enthusiasm that the species was completely wiped out. The last one died in captivity in 1914. This extinction is widely regarded as a stunning example of human stupidity.
• The Dodo Bird. A pigeon species that evolved on the isolated island of Mauritius, the Dodo Bird, Raphus cucullatus, was large and flightless. The Dodo bird declined quickly once humans arrived, becoming a symbol of extinction that is still familiar hundreds of years later. The Solitaire, a related pigeon that had evolved on a nearby island, suffered the same fate. One of the characters in Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is a Dodo Bird.

More about pigeons:

Facts About Pigeons and Doves

Citizen Scientists Pigeon Watch

Sources:

Birds of North America. Kaufman, Kenn. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Perrins, Christopher ed. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2003

The Book of Knowledge. McLoughlin E. V., and J. M. S. Careless Eds. Toronto: Grolier. 1958

The copyright of the article Columbidae – Doves and Pigeons in Birds is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish Columbidae – Doves and Pigeons in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fantail Dove

Pigeons in Trafalgar Square