Doves and pigeons are members of the bird family Columbidae . There is only one family in the Columbiformes order. These birds have sturdy bodies, short necks, and short, slender bills, some of which have fleshy ceres. They mostly eat plants, seeds, and fruits. The family is found all throughout the world, although Indo-Malaya and Australia have the most variation.
50 genera and 344 species make up the family. 13 of the species are no longer extant.[2] The smaller species are frequently referred to as "doves" and the bigger species as "pigeons" in English.[3] The difference is inconsistent[3] and absent from the majority of other languages. These birds' common names have undergone a tremendous degree of modification throughout history. The bird that is most frequently referred to simply as "pigeon" is the domestic pigeon, which is also known as a feral pigeon in many towns.
Depending on the species, doves and pigeons create rather weak nests, frequently out of sticks and other detritus, and perch them on tree branches, ledges, or the ground. Both parents care for the young, which hatch out of the nest after 25–32 days, and they lay one or (often) two white eggs at a time. Squabs, which are unhatched young doves and pigeons, can typically fly by the time they are 5 weeks old. Once weaned, these fledglings are known as squeakers because of their juvenile squeaking voices.[4] Contrary to other birds, doves and pigeons both sexes create "crop milk" to feed to their young. This substance is produced by the sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the crop's lining.
Facts of Pigeon:
1. It's possible that pigeons were the first domesticated birds. Pigeons have long been a popular pet among humans. Pigeons are really depicted in Mesopotamian art as early as 4500 BCE! These works of art are thought by scientists to be the earliest pigeon images ever captured. Pigeons have also been a key food source for humans for thousands of years. These details have given rise to the hypothesis that pigeons were maybe the first animals that humans domesticated.
Some pigeons have served in battle. Homing pigeon flocks used for military purposes were common during the 20th century. Important communications may be sent rapidly between bases or beyond enemy lines with the help of the birds. Thousands of lives are said to have been saved by pigeons thanks to the information they so carefully provided, or "pigeon post," With only five minutes left, a pigeon by the name of G.I. Joe rescued British troops from a bombing. During World War I, a different person by the name of Cher Ami provided a total of 12 crucial messages for the American soldiers. On his final flight, Cher Ami was hit in the breast but continued to fly for an additional 25 minutes, finishing the job and rescuing 194 stranded men.
