Pigeons
(Columbidae - Please see also Doves)
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Pigeons and doves are some 300 species of near passerine birds in the order Columbiformes. 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 Pigeon.
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
The usually flimsy nests are made of sticks, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes. Doves feed on seeds, fruit and other soft plantstuff. 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 dodo. The young doves and pigeons are called "squabs". A person who keeps pigeons is called a "pigeon fancier".
Systematics and evolution
The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, but thisis probably inaccurate. For example, the American ground and quail doves which are usually placed in the Columbinae seem to be two distinct subfamilies. The order presented here follows Baptista et al. (1997) with some updates (Johnson & Clayton, 2000; Johnson et al., 2001; Shapiro et al., 2002).
Note that the arrangement of genera and naming of subfamilies is in some cases provisional because analyses of different DNA sequences yield results that differ, often radically, in the placement of certain (mainly Indo-Australian) genera. This ambiguity, probably caused by Long branch attraction, on the other hand seems to confirm that the first pigeons evolved in the Australasian region, and that the "Treronidae" and allied forms (crowned and pheasant pigeons, for example) represent the earliest radiation of the group.
Exacerbating these issues, columbids are not well represented in the fossil record. No really primitive forms have been found to date. The genus Gerandia which most likely belongs to the Columbinae has been described from Early Miocene deposits of France. Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. For these, and for the considerable number of more recently extinct prehistoric species, see the respective genus accounts.
Source: Wikipedia.org
Related Web Resources:
Pigeon Genetics (Excellent Website) ... New England Pigeon Supplies ... The Ultimate Pigeon Page ... Blue Pigeons ... Gerard and Bas (Sebastiaan) Verkerk ... Polygamous Breeding Method Layne Gardner ... Photos by Thomas Hellmann of Rare Russian Breeds ... Almond History and Description by Ken Davis ... Photos by Thomas Hellmann of Rare Polish Breeds ... 395 Concourse of So. Calif.
Racing (Please also go to individual pidgeon species below for racing information): C.I.B.S. Canary Islands Breeding Station (racing pigeons) ... Dubai Racing Pigeon Club ... Homing Pigeons ... Racing Pigeon Fancier.com - Lost & Found Birds
All-Breed Clubs / Associations: National Pigeon Association / Clubs ... Alabama Pigeon Club ... Arizona Pigeon Club ... Bayshore Variety Pigeon Club ... Central
Pacific Pigeon Club ... Faircount
Pigeon Club ... Lake of the Ozarks Pigeon Club ... Pecos
Valley Pigeon Club ... Pigeon Fanciers Association of Rochester, New York ... Southern
Ohio Pigeon Association ... Virginia Pigeon Association ... White
Rose Pigeon Association ... Layne's Pigeon Site - Pigeon Clubs & Links
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