describe any bird from the Columbidae family. For example, the grey pigeons people see in cities,
those are also known as rock doves; and the white doves released at weddings,
those are also known as homing pigeons; so the names “pigeon” and “dove” can be used to describe
any bird from this family. Taxonomically speaking, they’re the same animals. If you want to get a
little more specific, ornithologists say that the larger members of this family are pigeons while
the smaller members are doves, but there aren’t really any differences between the two names!
There are more than 300 classified pigeon species. Pigeons can be identified by two specific traits:
they all suck up water to drink it, something most other birds don’t or are simply unable to do;
and they all produce crop milk, or pigeon milk, which is a substance they use to
feed their young. Brewster, the pigeon from Animal Crossing, does in fact spit into your
drink if you ask him to include pigeon milk in it, so you’re welcome for that.
Pigeons are distributed throughout most of the world. They live nearly anywhere including
grasslands, forests, deserts and cities. Their highest species diversity occurs in tropical
rainforests. These birds can be found from sea level to over three miles (5,000m) in elevation,
and they’re also found on oceanic islands. It’s believed that the now
extinct passenger pigeon may have been the most populous bird species to ever live.
Until humans came along, that is, but more on that later.
Pigeons come in a wide variety of colors. Some of the most ornate pigeons are the crowned pigeons
which we’ve discussed in a previous episode. These are also the largest living pigeons. Pigeons
measure from 6 to 30 inches (15-75cm) in length and can weigh anywhere from an ounce (28 grams) to
over 6 pounds (2.7 kg). Up to 44% of this weight may come from their flight muscles alone!
These big muscles give pigeons a full-looking chest as well as
excellent maneuverability in the skies which can help them avoid predators like falcons and hawks.
In turn, these birds eat fruits and seeds. Fruit eaters are often more brightly colored
than the seed eaters. They also occasionally eat insects, worms, snails, and reptiles.
Some pigeons prefer a solitary lifestyle, such as the scaled pigeon, while others,
like flock pigeons, gather in groups. Pigeons remain monogamous throughout a breeding season
and some remain with the same partner from year to year. They lay two eggs per nest, though some
larger, fruit-eating species may lay only one. Both parents incubate the eggs. The chicks hatch
after two to four week and the baby birds leave the nest after the same amount of time.
They’ll stick around for a month to receive food from their parents,
though their parents will quickly move on to another brood. They can produce up to five
clutches per breeding season depending on the species! Pigeons begin breeding
anywhere from six months to a year of age. Some pigeons can live to be 20 years old, however,
the adult population loses about half its members on a yearly basis through predation and other
threats. These birds are the victims of the two most well-known bird extinctions caused by humans.
The aforementioned passenger pigeon was hunted in droves throughout the 1800s.
By the early 1900s, it went extinct. Their flocks reached millions of members, and their migrations
would blacken the sky for minutes. The other major pigeon extinction was the dodo. Yes,
dodos were actually members of the pigeon family. They are widely accepted to have
gone extinct around 1662. Our modern-day depiction of them may not even be accurate! Fossil records
are scarce and the last known drawing of one from life only includes a dodo’s head.
For more facts on pigeons, check out the links below.
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