Dove

A common name for birds in the family Columbidae, often applied to smaller or lighter-bodied species. Doves share the family’s compact bodies, short bills, and seed- and fruit-based diets.

Columbidae: A family of birds that includes pigeons and doves. Doves are members of this family; the distinction between “dove” and “pigeon” is informal.
Mourning dove: A slender North American dove known for its plaintive call and long, pointed tail. It is a familiar example of a species commonly called a dove.
Crop: An expandable pouch in a bird’s esophagus that temporarily stores food. Doves use this organ to produce the secretion fed to their young.
Dove of peace: A cultural symbol of peace, commonly depicted as a white dove carrying an olive branch. The dove’s symbolic role is distinct from the biological meanings of the name.
Bird: A warm-blooded, feathered vertebrate whose living members belong to the class Aves. Doves share the defining anatomy and biology of birds.
Eurasian collared dove: A pale dove native to parts of Asia and Europe, distinguished by a dark half-collar on its neck. Its spread beyond its native range shows how some doves adapt to human-altered landscapes.
Monogamy in birds: A mating system in which a bird forms a pair bond with one mate for a breeding period or longer. Many doves form pairs that share nesting and parental duties.
Holy Spirit in Christianity: The Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit as God’s presence and action. Christian art and scripture often depict the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.
Crop milk: A nutrient-rich secretion produced in the crop of some birds to feed their young. Both parents of many dove species produce it to nourish hatchlings.
Common wood pigeon: A large pigeon native to Europe and western Asia, with white patches on its neck and wings. Its common name uses “pigeon” for a member of the same family as doves.

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