Related topics: birds

London falcons ate fewer pigeons during lockdown

Changes in peregrine falcon diets during COVID-19 lockdowns highlight the impact of human behavior on urban predators. The findings are from a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal, People and Nature.

In defense of pigeons

If you ask people why they like their favorite animal, they will tell you about the incredible things the creature can do, its relatable characteristics or its interesting looks. Few would be likely to cite the pigeon as ...

Exploring the strategies of categorization

Colloquially referred to as pigeonholing, categorisation learning often has a rather negative connotation in the public eye. Yet the basic cognitive ability to categorize offers a significant advantage: it condenses the flood ...

New findings show pigeons act selflessly when under threat

A new study of pigeons has revealed that they flock together in the presence of predators for the collective benefit, rather than for selfish interest. This is in stark contrast to the long-held 'selfish herd' theory that ...

Odors as navigational cues for pigeons

Many bird species can find their way home even after being brought to remote or unfamiliar locations. Over 40 years of research on homing pigeons have shown that environmental odors play a crucial role in this process. Yet ...

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Columbidae

Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological practice, there is a tendency for "dove" 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 "dove" and "pigeon." This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. Young doves and pigeons are called "squabs."

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks, and have short slender bills with a fleshy cere. The species commonly referred to just as "pigeon" is the Feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.

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. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after 7 to 28 days. Doves feed on seeds, fruit and plants. 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 text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA