Pigeons and doves constitute the bird clade Columbidae,
that includes some 310 species. They are stout-bodied birds with short necks,
and have short, slender bills with fleshy ceres. Doves feed on seeds, fruits,
and plants. This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the
Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones.
In general, the terms "dove" and
"pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological
practice, "dove" tends 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 a great deal of
variation between the terms. The species most commonly referred to as
"pigeon" is the Feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.
Man feeding pigeon from his mouth, Paris, 1950's
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests from
sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the
ground, depending on species.
The pigeon has contributed to both World War I and II,
notably by the Australian, French, German, American, and UK forces.
Thirty-two pigeons have been decorated with the Dickin Medal for war
contributions, including Commando, G.I. Joe, Paddy, and William of Orange.
Pigeons lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the
young, which leave the nest after seven to 28 days. Unlike most birds, both
sexes of doves and pigeons produce "crop milk" to feed to their
young, secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the
crop.
Young doves and pigeons are called "squabs".
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