Columbidae is a chook own circle of relatives which includes pigeons and doves. It is the most effective own circle of relatives withinside the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with quick necks, and quick narrow payments that during a few species characteristic fleshy ceres. They basically feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. The own circle of relatives takes place worldwide, however the best range is withinside the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.
The own circle of relatives carries 344 species divided into 50 genera. Thirteen of the species are extinct.
In English, the smaller species have a tendency to be referred to as "doves" and the bigger ones "pigeons". The difference isn't consistent, however, at the same time as dove is a Germanic phrase that refers back to the chook's diving flight. The English dialectal phrase "culver" seems to derive from Latin columba.
Doves and pigeons construct enormously flimsy nests, frequently the usage of sticks and different debris, which can be located on branches of trees, on ledges, or at the floor, relying on species. They lay one or white eggs at a time, and each dad and mom take care of the young, which depart the nest after 25–32 days. Unfledged child doves and pigeons are referred to as squabs and are typically capable of fly through five weeks of age. These fledglings, with their immature squeaking voices, are referred to as squeakers as soon as they're weaned or weaning. Unlike maximum birds, each sexes of doves and pigeons produce "crop milk" to feed to their young, secreted through a sloughing of fluid-crammed cells from the liner of the crop.
Taxonomy and systematics
The call Columbidae for the own circle of relatives became delivered through the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a manual to the contents of the British Museum posted in 1820. Columbidae is the most effective residing own circle of relatives withinside the order Columbiformes. The sandgrouse have been previously located right here, however have been moved to a separate order Pterocliformes primarily based totally on anatomical differences ; they're now taken into consideration to be greater carefully associated with shorebirds. Recent phylogenomic research aid the grouping of pigeons and sandgrouse together, along side mesites, forming the sister taxon to Mirandornithes.
The Columbidae are commonly divided into 5 subfamilies, possibly inaccurately. For example, the American floor and quail doves, that are commonly located withinside the Columbinae, appear to be wonderful subfamilies. The order supplied right here follows Baptista etal., with a few updates.
The association of genera and naming of subfamilies is in a few instances provisional due to the fact analyses of various DNA sequences yield outcomes that differ, frequently radically, withinside the placement of certain genera. This ambiguity, possibly resulting from lengthy department attraction, appears to verify the primary pigeons advanced withinside the Australasian region, and that the "Treronidae" and allied bureaucracy constitute the earliest radiation of the group.
The own circle of relatives Columbidae formerly additionally contained the own circle of relatives Raphidae, which includes the extinct Rodrigues solitaire and the dodo. These species are likely a part of the Indo-Australian radiation that produced the 3 small subfamilies noted above, with the fruit doves and pigeons . Therefore, they're right here covered as a subfamily Raphinae, pending higher fabric proof in their precise relationships.
Exacerbating those issues, columbids aren't nicely represented withinside the fossil record. No honestly primitive bureaucracy had been observed to date. The genus Gerandia has been defined from Early Miocene deposits in France, however at the same time as it became lengthy believed to be a pigeon, it's far now taken into consideration a sandgrouse. Fragmentary stays of a possibly "ptilinopine" Early Miocene pigeon have been observed withinside the Bannockburn Formation of New Zealand and defined as Rupephaps; Apart from that, all different fossils belong to extant genera.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy primarily based totally at the paintings through John H. Boyd, III, a professor of economics.
Description
Size and appearance
Pigeons and doves show off huge variant in length, ranging in period from, and in weight from to above . The biggest species is the topped pigeon of New Guinea, which is sort of turkey-sized, at a weight of . The smallest is the New World floor dove of the genus Columbina, that's the identical length as a residence sparrow, weighing as little as .
Anatomy and physiology
Overall, the anatomy of Columbidae is characterised through quick legs, quick payments with a fleshy cere, and small heads on large, compact bodies. Like a few different birds, the Columbidae haven't any gall bladders. Some medieval naturalists concluded they haven't any bile, which withinside the medieval idea of the 4 humours defined the allegedly candy disposition of doves. In fact, however, they do have bile, that's secreted without delay into the gut.
