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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing pigeons… and also technically doves. The common names pigeon and dove can be used interchangeably to describe any bird from the Columbidae family. For example, the grey pigeons people see in cities, those are also known as rock doves; and the white doves released at weddings, those are also known as homing pigeons; so the names “pigeon” and “dove” can be used to describe any bird from this family. Taxonomically speaking, they’re the same animals. If you want to get a little more specific, ornithologists say that the larger members of this family are pigeons while the smaller members are doves, but there aren’t really any differences between the two names!

There are more than 300 classified pigeon species. Pigeons can be identified by two specific traits: they all suck up water to drink it, something most other birds don’t or are simply unable to do; and they all produce crop milk, or pigeon milk, which is a substance they use to feed their young. Brewster, the pigeon from Animal Crossing, does in fact spit into your drink if you ask him to include pigeon milk in it, so you’re welcome for that.

Pigeons are distributed throughout most of the world. They live nearly anywhere including grasslands, forests, deserts, and cities. Their highest species diversity occurs in tropical rainforests. These birds can be found from sea level to over three miles (5,000m) in elevation, and they’re also found on oceanic islands. It’s believed that the now extinct passenger pigeon may have been the most populous bird species to ever live. Until humans came along, that is, but more on that later.

Pigeons come in a wide variety of colors. Some of the most ornate pigeons are the crowned pigeons which we’ve discussed in a previous episode. These are also the largest living pigeons. Pigeons measure from 6 to 30 inches (15-75cm) in length and can weigh anywhere from an ounce (28 grams) to over 6 pounds (2.7 kg). Up to 44% of this weight may come from their flight muscles alone! These big muscles give pigeons a full-looking chest as well as excellent maneuverability in the skies which can help them avoid predators like falcons and hawks. In turn, these birds eat fruits and seeds. Fruit eaters are often more brightly colored than the seed eaters. They also occasionally eat insects, worms, snails, and reptiles.

Some pigeons prefer a solitary lifestyle, such as the scaled pigeon, while others, like flock pigeons, gather in groups. Pigeons remain monogamous throughout a breeding season and some remain with the same partner from year to year. They lay two eggs per nest, though some larger, fruit-eating species may lay only one. Both parents incubate the eggs. The chicks hatch after two to four week and the baby birds leave the nest after the same amount of time. They’ll stick around for a month to receive food from their parents, though their parents will quickly move on to another brood. They can produce up to five clutches per breeding season depending on the species! Pigeons begin breeding anywhere from six months to a year of age. Some pigeons can live to be 20 years old, however, the adult population loses about half its members on a yearly basis through predation and other threats. These birds are the victims of the two most well-known bird extinctions caused by humans.

The aforementioned passenger pigeon was hunted in droves throughout the 1800s. By the early 1900s, it went extinct. Their flocks reached millions of members, and their migrations would blacken the sky for minutes. The other major pigeon extinction was the dodo. Yes, dodos were actually members of the pigeon family. They are widely accepted to have gone extinct around 1662. Our modern-day depiction of them may not even be accurate! Fossil records are scarce and the last known drawing of one from life only includes a dodo’s head.

For more facts on pigeons, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today! Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!