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Species
Columbidae
EOL Text
Pigeons and doves are monogamous, and many have the same mate from year to year. They have numerous displays that are performed either on the ground or in the air. For example, while on the ground, males of some species squat, lift their tail, lower their head, twitch their wings and scratch the ground with their feet while calling. Some species have aerial displays that usually involve wing claps (most forest and ground living species do not have aerial displays). Aerial displays are used in courtship and to indicate territory boundaries. During a pre-copulation display, a male inflates his crop, bows, spreads his tail feathers, pirouettes and calls. This display varies among species, and birds with ornaments and colorful plumage usually show them off during the display. Some species of pigeons and doves also engage in courtship feeding and/or mate guarding.
Mating System: monogamous
Breeding is triggered by food availability and photoperiod and can be seasonal or year-round, depending on the species. Some columbids breed colonially, some solitarily. The males bring nest material to the females who build the nest. The nest is a platform or shallow cup of twigs and stems built on a crevice, cliff, tree or the ground. Columbids will re-use nests and will build nests on top of abandoned bird nests. Nest building usually lasts two to four days and nest sites are defended.
Clutch size is usually one to two eggs (occasionally three). Frugivorous species usually have only one egg; fruit is low in protein so the birds can not raise more than one chick. The eggs are white or buff colored and unmarked. Both males and females incubate, but females usually spend more time incubating than males. Species that live in the desert wet their stomach feathers before incubating to help cool the eggs by evaporation. Incubation lasts 11 to 30 days, and hatching can be either synchronous or asynchronous. Chicks are altricial and are fed by both parents. Chicks fledge in 10 to 36 days (earlier if disturbed) and may continue to receive food from their parents for 30 to 40 days.
Breeding pairs can have up to five broods in one breeding season. Their short breeding cycle allows pigeons and doves to have more broods to compensate for their small brood sizes and relatively high rates of predation. Fledglings grow their adult plumage a few months after fledging and reach sexual maturity in 6 to 12 months.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization (Internal )
Both males and females incubate, but females usually spend more time incubating than males. Species that live in the desert wet their stomach feathers before incubating to help cool the eggs by evaporation. Incubation lasts 11 to 30 days. Chicks are altricial and are fed by both parents. The chicks are usually fed crop-milk for three to four days and are then fed seeds and fruit, however, some continue to be fed crop-milk even after they have fledged. Crop-milk is made in the crop of the adult birds and is 75 to 77 percent water, 11 to 13 percent protein, 5 to 7 percent fat and 1.2 to 1.8 percent minerals and amino acids. Nestling pigeons and doves grow rapidly because of the crop-milk. Chicks fledge in 10 to 36 days (earlier if disturbed) and may continue to receive food from their parents for 30 to 40 days.
Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care
- Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, J. Cox. 2001. Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Sussex: Pica Press.
- Baptista, L., P. Trail, H. Horblit. 1992. Family Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves). Pp. 60-243 in J del Hoyo, A Elliott, J Sargatal, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 4. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
- Lack, P. 2003. Pigeons and Doves. Pp. 288-295 in C Perrins, ed. The New Encyclopedia of Birds. Oxford: Oxford Univeristy Press.
- Wells, J., A. Wells. 2001. Pigeons and Doves. Pp. 319-325 in C Elphick, J Dunning, D Sibley, eds. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records: | 1,181 | Public Records: | 370 |
Specimens with Sequences: | 736 | Public Species: | 92 |
Specimens with Barcodes: | 723 | Public BINs: | 89 |
Species: | 155 | ||
Species With Barcodes: | 113 | ||
Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Columbidae
Some species of pigeons and doves have expanded their ranges and increased their population sizes as a result of human activities (for example, 'rock doves Columba livia' and 'Eurasian collared doves Streptopelia decaocto'). Other species are less fortunate and their ranges and populations are shrinking as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting, introduced species, agriculture and pesticides. Columbids that live on islands are the most threatened. Habitat preservation is the best solution to dwindling numbers of some columbids, and captive breeding may be useful as a last resort.
The IUCN lists 109 species of columbids in various categories from ‘Extinct’ to ‘Near Threatened. CITES lists 26 members of Columbidae ranging from Appendix I to Appendix III.
- 2004. "UNEP-WCMC Species Database: CITES-Listed Species" (On-line). Accessed April 28, 2004 at http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html.
- IUCN, 2003. "2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (On-line). Accessed April 28, 2004 at http://www.redlist.org/.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Pigeons and doves are in the order Columbiformes and family Columbidae. There are five subfamilies within Columbidae, 42 genera and 308 species. They are easily recognizable and have a world-wide distribution (although they are not found in Antarctica). They live in almost all types of terrestrial habitats from desert to dense forest and large urban areas. Pigeons and doves are stocky birds that range from 15 to 75 cm long. Many of the seed-eating columbids are buff, grey and brown colors, while the fruit-eaters are often more brightly colored. Many have ornamentation and iridescent feathers on the neck, breast, back, wings and face. They range from solitary to extremely social; the now extinct passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) are reported to have occurred in flocks of up to two million birds that were so dense that they blocked out the sun.
- Dickinson, E. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, 3rd edition. London: Christopher Helm.
- Baptista, L., P. Trail, H. Horblit. 1992. Family Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves). Pp. 60-243 in J del Hoyo, A Elliott, J Sargatal, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 4. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
- Lack, P. 2003. Pigeons and Doves. Pp. 288-295 in C Perrins, ed. The New Encyclopedia of Birds. Oxford: Oxford Univeristy Press.
- Wells, J., A. Wells. 2001. Pigeons and Doves. Pp. 319-325 in C Elphick, J Dunning, D Sibley, eds. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Because they feed on cultivated grain, columbids are often thought of as crop pests. They are also pests in urban areas where they nest in man-made structures and their droppings can be a nuisance. They are also known to carry human disease.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (carries human disease); crop pest; household pest
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Pigeons and doves are a cosmopolitan family (although they are not found in Antarctica or the high arctic). The highest diversity of columbids occurs in South America, Australasia and the Pacific Islands. Some species (for example, Rock Doves (Columba livia)) have been introduced throughout much of their range.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); neotropical (Introduced , Native ); australian (Introduced , Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced , Native )
Other Geographic Terms: cosmopolitan ; island endemic
- Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, J. Cox. 2001. Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Sussex: Pica Press.
- Frith, H. 1982. Pigeons and Doves of Australia. Adelaide: Rigby Publishers.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Pigeons and doves are often a part of folklore and literature, and havae been domesticated for food (both eggs and adults are eaten by people). Research involving columbids has lead to increased knowledge about the inheritance of morphological and behavioral traits, endocrinology, learning, evolution, orientation and navigation. Pigeon racing is also a common pass-time and racing pigeons can sell for as much as $350 000. Pigeons and doves were also used as messengers during war times and are sometimes kept as pets.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; food ; research and education
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |
Pigeons and doves are stocky birds that range from 15 to 75 cm long and weigh from 30 to over 2000 g. The smaller species within Columbidae are often called doves and the larger species pigeons, but these names do not necessarily reflect true differences and are often used interchangeably. Columbids have small heads and short beaks and legs. Their flight muscles may make up to 44 percent of the bird’s body weight and allow them to have excellent flying capabilities and maneuverability. Wing-shape is often a good indicator of the species’ migratory behavior. They have soft skin at the base of their bills and a ring of bare skin around their eyes that can be red, blue, yellow or white. Columbids have a bilobed crop that produces “crop-milk” (or "pigeon milk") that they feed their young.
Columbids can be divided in to seed-eating and fruit-eating species. Many of the seed-eating columbids are buff, grey and brown colors while the fruit-eaters are often more brightly colored. Typical pigeons (subfamily Columbinae) are usually grey, brown and/or pink. Fruit-eating pigeons (subfamily Treroninae) are more colorful with oranges and greens. Crowned pigeons (subfamily Gourinae) are grey with pink or chestnut underparts and a white wing patch. Tooth-billed pigeons (subfamily Didunculinae) are chestnut colored on the back and wings and dark green elsewhere. Many doves and pigeons have ornamentation (such as crests and colorful eye rings) and iridescent feathers on the neck, breast, back, wings and face. They range from sexually monomorphic to sexually dimorphic, and molt annually after breeding.
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful; ornamentation
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Columbidae.html |