Doves and Pigeons form the family Columbidae. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes.
These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They feed largely on plant matter, feeding on seeds, fruit, and foliage. In colloquial English, the smaller species tend to be called “Doves”, and the larger ones “Pigeons”, although the distinction is not consistent, and there is no scientific separation between them. Columbidae contains 52 genera divided into 353 species. The family occurs worldwide, often in close proximity to humans.
