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The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon (/ ˈ p ɪ dʒ. ə n / also / ˈ p ɪ dʒ. ɪ n /; Columba livia) is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). [3]: 624 In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although this is the wild form of the bird; the pigeons most familiar to people are the domesticated form of the wild rock dove.
Feral pigeons are essentially the same size and shape as the original wild rock dove, but often display far greater variation in colour and pattern than their wild ancestors. The blue-barred pattern which the original wild rock dove displays is generally less common in more urban areas.
The stock dove Columba oenas of Europe is a typical member of the Columbinae A red-eyed dove on the Zambezi in Zimbabwe The blue-headed quail-dove Starnoenas cyanocephala of Cuba is a relictual species with no close relatives The common ground dove (Columbina passerina) is the smallest species in the family.
The rock dove (C. livia) has given rise to the majority of domesticated pigeon breeds, such as the racing pigeon and the fantail pigeon, some of which have become feral. Meanwhile, "wood pigeon" by itself usually means the common wood pigeon (C. palumbus).
The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica or Columba livia forma domestica) [2] is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove or rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Unlike a number of other bird species which have the salt gland as the primary osmoregulatory organ, C. livia does not use its salt gland. [4] It uses the function of the kidneys to maintain homeostatic balance of ions such as sodium and potassium while preserving water quantity in the body. [5]
European turtle dove: Streptopelia turtur (Linnaeus, 1758) EU: primarily Europe; to North Africa and China: 58: Dusky turtle dove: Streptopelia lugens (Rüppell, 1837) AF, EU: east Africa and Arabian Peninsula: 59: Adamawa turtle dove: Streptopelia hypopyrrha (Reichenow, 1910) AF: West Africa: 60: Oriental turtle dove: Streptopelia orientalis ...
The pigeon family is a group of stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a worldwide distribution. [2] The white-headed pigeon is in the genus Columba, the same as the Rock dove (C. livia) from which the domestic pigeon is derived. [3]