Pigeon vs Dove
Pigeons and doves are cute looking small birds that are found in different parts of the world. They are soft and delicate and hunted for food but also kept as pets in homes. Both of them belong to a family of birds called Columbidae. You must have heard the phrase lovey-dovey and also come across a definition of people that describes those opposing violence as doves. In general, people make no difference between these two types of birds and call them pigeon or dove according to their whim. However, there are differences between these two birds that will be highlighted in this article.
In many cultures, doves and pigeons have been raised as pets for thousands of years and also used as sacrifices to appease the Gods. In times when there were no postal services, leave apart internet and SMS, pigeons were used to carry message from one place to another. Nowadays pigeons and doves have become a symbol of peace and released in groups in air to mark a happy event.
Talking about differences, the first thing that one notices is the difference in size of the two birds. While doves are smaller with a pointed tail, pigeons are larger and have a rounded tail. Both pigeons and doves are gentle creatures that are very quite and easy to domesticate. They are friendly as pets and need very little care and maintenance.
There are great variations in the sizes of pigeons and doves. While the crowned pigeons found in New Guinea are certainly the largest in the world (2-4kg), the smallest are certainly the New World doves that look like hummingbirds (22 grams). Both pigeons and doves are found in almost all parts of the world and they seem to have this knack of adapting to the conditions.
As far as food is concerned, both pigeons and doves like to eat seeds and fruits that form their staple diet. However, there are some species such as ground doves and quail doves that prey on insects and worms.
In most religions of the world, pigeons and doves are loved and respected and accorded a special place. In Christianity, dove has come to represent the symbol of holy spirit. Because of people hunting them for food, some of the species of doves and pigeons have either become extinct or are considered as threatened.
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In brief: Dove vs Pigeon • Both doves and pigeons belong to the same family of birds called Columbidae • The difference between doves and pigeons lies in their size. • While doves are smaller and have a pointed tail, pigeons are larger in size and have a rounded tail • Both are found in almost all parts of the world • There are large pigeons weighing almost 4kg and there are also doves weighing as little as 22 grams.
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They didn’t mention something very important. Pigeons can carry all sorts of dangerous diseases, some of which have been passed on to humans. That’s why they have the nicknames “flying rats” and “rats with wings”. This problem does not apply to doves.
@Mojave Son:
The description of pigeons as “rats with wings” was used by Thomas P. F. Hoving, then the parks commissioner, in a 1966 New York Times article, and it was popularized by Woody Allen in his 1980 film “Stardust Memories:”
DORRIE “Hey, that’s so pretty. A pigeon!”
SANDY “Geez…no, it’s not pretty at all. They’re…they’re…they’re rats with wings.”
DORRIE “They’re wonderful. No! It’s probably a good omen. It’ll bring us good luck.”
The likelihood of a bird passing on a disease to a human being is so infinitesimally small that it is not even worth considering. However, the commonly held view is that pigeons and other wild birds pose a massive threat to human health and as a result their numbers should be strictly controlled. So what is the source of this myth? The pest control industry.
Pest control is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide where killing pigeons and many other so-called pest species of birds represents a large proportion of the profits generated within the industry. If the pest control industry was to cease using lethal control (culling) services tomorrow many pest control contractors would go out of business immediately, so dependent are they on this source of income. As a result of this, and in order to keep a dying industry alive, pest control companies pump out huge volumes of propaganda each year designed to scare the general public into buying pest control services and products.
Get your facts straight.
He has his facts straight. You’re a pitiful tool for the pest control indu$try and will say anything.
There isn’t any proof of these birds transmitting any disease o humans
Pigeons and doves are closely related. There are about 300 species of birds in the Columbidae group. Some are very beautiful and colorful. In fact the word “pigeon” and “dove” are pretty interchangeable. The pigeons that are referred to as “flying rats” are descendants of wild rock doves that were domesticated and then escaped back into the wild. Because they originally inhabited cliffs, they are attracted to buildings in cities, where they cause damage through nest building and droppings. They also have little fear of humans and will steal food.
The urban terror was given a new name in June 1966, when New York City parks commissioner Thomas coined the term “rats with wings.” With that, Jerolmack says, pigeons were explicitly linked to disorder and disease, and our perceptions of them as nuisances, “dirty” animals, and health threats were all emphasized and threaded together in a neat little package.
All birds carry salmonella in their feces. Birds also carry psitacosis (disease in humans is similar to pneumonia) in their feces and mites In Their feathers. Large flocks of birds should be avoided unless wearing a mask but killing them off is unnecessary. Most animals can carry disease but humans do as well. Hand washing and general hygiene are ways to control it.