Dove
See River Dove for the river.
| Pigeons and Doves | ||||||||||
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 Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida) | ||||||||||
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| Genera | ||||||||||
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Subfamily Columbinae Columba ''Nesoenas Streptopelia Macropygia Reinwardtoena Turacoena Turtur Oena Chalcophaps Henicophaps Phaps Ocyphaps Geophaps Petrophassa Geopelia Leucosarcia Zenaida Ectopistes (extinct) Columbina Claravis Metropelia Scardafella Uropelia Leptotila Geotrygon Starnoenas Caloenas Gallicolumba Trugon Microgoura (extinct?) Subfamily Otidiphabinae Otidiphaps Subfamily Gourinae Goura Subfamily Didunculinae Didunculus Subfamily Treroninae Phapitreron Treron Ptilinopus Drepanoptila Alectroenas Ducula Lopholaimus Hemiphaga Cryptophaps Gymnophaps |
The doves are the 308 species of near passerine birds in the order Columbiformes, hence the adjective columbine refers to something being dove-like. The terms dove and pigeon are used interchangeably, although smaller species are more likely to be called doves.
The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Dove.
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
The poorly constructed nests are made of sticks, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes.
Doves feed on seeds, fruit and other soft plantstuffs. 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 dodos
The young doves and pigeons are called 'squabs'. A person who keeps pigeons is called a 'pigeon fancier'.
White doves are a traditional symbol of love and peace. A dove was supposed to have been released by Noah after the flood in order to find land; it came back carrying an olive branch, telling Noah that, somewhere, there was land. A dove with an olive branch, then, has come to symbolize peace. In Christian iconography a dove also symbolizes the Holy Spirit, in reference to the Baptism of Jesus where the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove.
In politics the name "dove" is sometimes applied to figures who favour peaceful solutions to problems as opposed to "hawks" who favour aggressive action.
[[Nicobar Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria)
Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea paulina). Other names for this bird are Celebes Imperial Pigeon, Celebes Green Imperial Pigeon and [[Green Imperial Pigeon
Symbolism
Classification & species list
The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, as follows; genus order here follows Handbook of the Birds of the World (Lynx, 1997):Subfamily Columbinae - typical pigeons & doves
Genus Columba Typical pigeons
Genus Nesoenas
Genus Streptopelia
Genus Macropygia
Genus Reinwardtoena
Genus Turacoena
Genus Turtur
Genus Oena
Genus Chalcophaps
Genus Henicophaps
Genus Phaps, bronzewing pigeons
Genus Ocyphaps
Genus Geophaps
Genus Petrophassa, rock pigeons
Genus Geopelia
Genus Leucosarcia
Genus Zenaida
Genus Ectopistes
Genus Columbina Ground Doves
Genus Claravis
Genus Metropelia
Genus Scardafella
Genus Uropelia
Genus Leptotila
Genus Geotrygon, quail-doves
Genus Starnoenas
Genus Caloenas
Genus Gallicolumba
Genus Trugon
Genus Microgoura
Subfamily Otidiphabinae - pheasant pigeon
Genus Otidiphaps
Subfamily Gourinae - crowned pigeons
Subfamily Didunculinae - tooth-billed pigeon
Genus Didunculus
Subfamily Treroninae - green & fruit doves
Genus Phapitreron
Genus Treron green pigeons
Genus Ptilinopus, fruit doves
Genus Drepanoptila
Genus Alectroenas blue pigeons
Genus Ducula imperial pigeons
Genus Lopholaimus
Genus Hemiphaga
Genus Cryptophaps
Genus Gymnophaps, mountain pigeons
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