With over 300 different species, amazing biological characteristics, and a history closely tied to our own, pigeons are far more complex and wonderful than we think.
Publication Jan 6, 2023, 4:59 PM CET
Le colobar waalia (Treron waalia) lives in a narrow band of habitats in Central Africa and parts of the Middle East, where it specializes in eating figs. Joel Sartore photographed this individual at the Houston Zoo.
The Spectacled Pigeon (The leader was scrutinized) is native to the Indonesian tropics. This individual was photographed at the Houston Zoo.
An imperial carpophagus (Brass conductor) flaps its wings at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, India.
This inlaid columbine (Geographies written), photographed at Melbourne Zoo, lives in the dry grasslands and forests of Australia.
No, this is not a parrot. This is a columbar from the Philippines (Treron axillaris), photographed at the Avilon Zoo in the Philippines.
With a ruby-like eye, Pinon’s carpophagus (Ducula stack) is from New Guinea. However, it can be seen here at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
Le kererû (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), or New Zealand carpophagus, is considered a cultural treasure by the Maori people. This individual was photographed at Auckland Zoo.
Present in Madagascar, the Comoros and Mayotte, the colombar maïtsou (Treron australis) sports a vibrant olive green. This individual was photographed at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, South Carolina.
The jounud pigeon (Patagioenas corensis) is distinguished by its eye rings, reminiscent of aviator goggles. The species is heavily hunted for its meat in its native habitats: Colombia, Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles. This individual was photographed in the national aviary of Colombia.
The camail nicobar (Caloenas nicobaricalisten)) is the closest living relative of the dodo. These birds are observed on the Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar, in the Malay archipelago, or on the Solomon Islands and in Palau. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers this species to be Near Threatened. This individual was photographed at the Henry Dooly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha.
Due to demand for its meat and fancy feathers, Scheepmaker’s Goura (Goura scheepmakeri) is vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This one was photographed at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, India.
L’otidiphaps noble (Otidiphaps the noble of Aruensis) spends its days foraging on the ground, much like the pheasant. Although native to New Guinea and nearby islands, this individual was photographed at the Cincinnati Zoo. This species is considered vulnerable to extinction due to an already restricted range and habitat loss.
Pauline carpophagus (Pauline brass guide) is a subspecies of the imperial carpophagus native to Indonesia. This one was photographed at the Walsrode bird park in Germany.
The Rose-bellied Pigeon (Poliocephalus leader) has already disappeared from some islands in the Philippines, where it is threatened by habitat loss and heavy hunting pressure. According to the IUCN classification, this species, pictured here at the Avilon Zoo, is Near Threatened.
A wonga columbine (Leucosarcia melanoleuca) photographed at the Houston Zoo. In the wild, these birds are more often seen than heard; they emerge from the scrub of their native Australia with a flapping of wings comparable to a clap of thunder.
Pigeon rameron (Columba arquatrix) photographed at Parc des Oiseaux, France. In its native range of Africa and the Middle East, this species has been observed ingesting clay: a behavior referred to as geophagy.
Able to fly faster than a motorboat, the white-crowned pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) can travel up to 50 km per day in search of food. According to the IUCN, the species is Near Threatened.
The bare-fronted columbar (Treron is bald) is one of the five emerald-colored pigeons on the African continent. This species, photographed at the Dallas World Aquarium, has a call comparable to a hiss.
Add a crest to an ordinary pigeon, and you will get the longup columbine (Ocyphaps lophotes), pictured here at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. This species can whistle using its wings.