Pigeons and Doves

Doves and pigeons all belong to the same family of birds, and share many distinctive features such as small rounded heads, slim bills with a fleshy patch at the base, rotund bodies with soft dense feathers, tapered wings and short scaly legs. All species have similar cooing and crooning calls too. Rock doves have long been domesticated in the UK and are the ancestors of all 'Fancy pigeons'; but having escaped from captivity they now live in towns and cities too. This is a brief guide to the wild pigeons that live in the UK, along with others commonly kept in captivity.

Asian Dwarf Turtle Dove (Streptopelia Tranquebarica)

Cape Dove (Oena Capensis)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia Decaocto)

Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps Indica)

Inca Dove (Columbina Inca)

Indian Fantail

Mourning Dove (Zenaida Macroura)

Rock Dove (Columba Livia)

Schietti Modena

Senegal Dove (Streptopelia Senegalensis)

Show King

Stock Dove (Columba Oenas)

Strasser (Strassentaube)

Tambourine Dove (Turtur Tympanistria)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia Turtur)

Valencian Figurita

White Winged Dove (Zenaida Asiatica)

Wood Pigeon (Columba Palumbus)

Zebra Dove (Geopelia Striata)