Introduction to Pigeon
Pigeon, a family of gentle, softvoiced birds, found wild and domesticated throughout the world. The word pigeon is the general name of the family and also the usual term for the larger members of the family; the smaller members are called doves. White domestic pigeons traditionally are called doves when they symbolize peace or, in the Christian religion the Holy Spirit. Pairs of pigeons or doves also are symbols of love, because they seem affectionate in courtship and mate for life.
There are about 300 species of pigeons and doves. Only the Arctic and Antarctic regions have no native species. Two-thirds of the species are found in southeastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The family is notable for two extinct species, the dodo and the passenger pigeon.
General Description
Doves range from 6 to about 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) in length; pigeons, from about 12 to 33 inches (30 to 84 cm). Most doves have pointed tails; most pigeons have round or square tails. Many members of the family have red or pink feet. The bill is slender and rounded, and is usually short, with a fleshy growth at the base. The plumage is thick with metallic glints, and varies in appearance from the uniform browns and grays of many temperate-zone species to the bright hues and bold patterns of tropical forms. In most species the male and female look alike.
Pigeons have stout bodies and thick plumage with metallic glints.Pigeons are swift, strong, graceful fliers. On the ground they walk or run with the toes turned slightly inward. The call is a monotonous repetition of cooing, chuckling, or booming notes; a few species make hissing or whistling sounds. Pigeons eat grain, fruits, berries, and herbage. They are able to suck up water without tilting back the head—a peculiarity shared only by a close relative, the sand grouse.
The flimsy nest of twigs or grass is built in trees, on ledges, or on the ground. Most species lay two white eggs, which are incubated by the male during the day and by female at night. Newly hatched birds blind and helpless. At first they are fed pigeon's milk, a secretion from the parents' crops that chemically resembles mammals' milk. After a few days the young are fed a mixture of milk and half-digested grain by regurgitation. They are fully feathered and able to leave the nest in three to five weeks' time.
Pigeons are famous for the homing instinct—the ability to find their way back to the roost from distances of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or more. Actually, many birds possess this little-understood ability.
Wild Pigeons
The rock dove, or rock pigeon, of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa is the ancestor of domestic pigeons. It has the same build and size (13 inches [33 cm] in length) as the tame bird of cities and farms, but is always colored blue-gray. The wood pigeon, or ring dove, of Europe is larger (16 inches [40 cm]). A North American relative is the brown band-tailed pigeon of the West Coast and southern Rocky Mountains.
Many colorful and unusual pigeons are found in the tropics. The Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon, distinguished by a bright red spot on its white chest, is found in the Philippines. The small painted pigeons of the South Pacific islands are red, blue, and iridescent black; related forms are gold and lavender. In southeastern Asia and Australia are found the green pigeons, with glowing plumage, and the handsome fruit pigeons and imperial, or nutmeg, pigeons with wide mouths that enable them to swallow large nuts and fruits. The biggest member of the family is the Victoria crowned pigeon of New Guinea. It is 33 inches (84 cm) long, with lacy plumes set lengthwise on its head. A species that differs from the smooth-plumaged look of most pigeons is the Nicobar pigeon, whose long, pointed black feathers give it a shaggy appearance.
Pigeons and doves belong to the family Columbidae. The rock dove is Columba livia; wood pigeon, C. palumbus; band-tailed pigeon, C. fasciata; Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon, Gallicolumba luzonica; Victoria crowned pigeon, Goura victoria; Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica. Painted, green, fruit, and imperial pigeons belong to a number of different genera.
Passenger Pigeon
Now extinct, the passenger pigeon once lived in huge numbers in North America east of the Rockies. It was a beautiful bird with a slender body, long pointed tail, brown back, and pink breast. In the early 19th century enormous flocks passed overhead for hours, darkening the sun and filling the air with the roar of wings. Yet the birds were becoming scarce by the time of the Civil War (1861-65). The last passenger pigeon known to be shot in the wild was taken in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900. The last member of the species died in the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens in 1914.
The passenger pigeon disappeared for several reasons. Settlers cut down the forests in which the pigeons nested, roosted, and fed on acorns and beech nuts. Millions of birds were shot, trapped, or overcome with sulfur smoke and clubbed to death—then shipped to city food markets.
The shocking extinction of the passenger pigeon led many persons to become ardent conservationists. They formed groups such as the National Audubon Society to save other bird species from a similar fate.
The passenger pigeon was Ectopistes migratorius.
Domestic Pigeons
For centuries, pigeons have been kept for their beauty, for racing and message carrying, and for their meat. There are more than 200 distinct breeds of domestic pigeons, all descended from the rock dove. The breeds vary greatly in color, markings, and habits, but are only slightly different in size. Domestic pigeons may live 35 years.
Pigeons often are kept as pets or for show purposes. Pouters and fantails strut and dance with the chest puffed up. Rollers and tumblers are acrobats in flight.
Homing pigeons are trained to return to the roost over long distances. They are used today mainly for pigeon racing, a popular sport in many countries. They have also been used—since the time of the ancient Egyptians—to carry messages, especially during wartime. When they are so used, the birds are called carrier pigeons. It is not unusual for a homing pigeon to fly a distance of 500 miles (about 800 km) between dawn and dusk.
Carrier pigeons are trained to carry messages over long distances.Plump fledgling pigeons, raised for the table, are called squabs. In the United States, most squabs are produced in private lofts for family consumption. There also are commercial squab farms near most large cities.
Escaped pigeons readily become semi-wild. They often remain near man, and may become pests around buildings or harm crops.
The American Racing Pigeon Union, founded in 1910, has 12,000 members. The National Pigeon Association (1921) has 1,500 members who raise pigeons for commercial, racing, and exhibition purposes. The association sponsors the annual Grand National Pigeon Show and publishes a quarterly magazine, National Pigeon Review.