# Doves vs Pigeons



## Fluttershy (Sep 18, 2013)

Hello every one! I am a lover of doves and pigeons but have only owned ring neck doves. I love them and adore them as pets because of their gentle nature and ability to form tight bonds with their owners, not to mention how silly they can be when they laugh and what not. I would like to hear peoples experiences and opinions on which they prefer as pets. I was told pigeons are less affectionate then doves, is this true? can owners of both birds please tell us which ones you prefer more over the other and why? I would love to get the pros and cons of both of them as pets. thank you!


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

Well from my experience I think pigeons are more affectionate but I have never had large doves just cape, diamond and zebra doves. I had one racing pigeon who would lay on my back in the morning and the babies are always sweet things. I think the doves are small so they are more wary. Even the babies my doves had never really were that affectionate even one that I was feeding that the parents had abandoned. But I guess ringneck doves would be less wary being large birds but I have no experience with them.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Ring neck doves are easier to keep in the house, pigeons are more messy, if you can believe that. but they are pretty much the same IMO. RN doves though are more petite and not as roubust.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Ringnecks can become very tame and be very loving. Our ringneck, DeeDee, is so loving that he can be a real pest! He is currently bow cooing to me from the top of my husband's computer monitor. I had just written a lengthy post to you, and he jumped down to chase my fingers and ERASED the whole thing! Gah!

I've never had a pigeon in the house, but DeeDee is fairly neat, poop-wise, for a bird, only going in certain places, outside of occasionally dropping one in a strange place, so it's fairly easy to do poop patrol.

DeeDee isn't afraid of much of anything; why should he be? Nothing has ever been allowed to hurt him. He is so brazen that he wasn't even afraid of our 160 lb Great Pyrenees (dog), and would dive bomb him!

He follows us around constantly, tries to take baths with us, insists on coming to see what we're eating, to see if it might just be something he would want. Tonight I had cheese rice, and he insisted on having his portion.

So, that's my take, but a lot of people say pigeons are smarter. If so, heaven help pigeon owners, because DeeDee has US very well trained!


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

To me pigeons are the only birds that are feathered gifts of the Almighty to mankind.
By keeping pigeon,you really don't have to feel the guilt of keeping a bird behind bars/indoors and snatching its freedom for ever. Pigeons can be let out for free flying and they love human company. They have been known to recognise the voice,touch and (ofcourse) face of their owners.
Yes no doubt doves are gentle but pigeons are not that agressive. IME pigeons are more close to their owners than doves and are also more intelligent than doves.
Some migratory dove species are also banned to be kept as pets.
Also pigeons come in so many attractive colors,varieties and breeds than doves like fantails,frillbacks,jacobins etc.
Pigeons are the real deal


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

I am a big fan of Ringneck Doves, over Pigeons, mostly because they are smaller and therefore somewhat less messy. Ringnecks have been domesticated and in captivity for thousands of years, like Pigeons, so they are much calmer than other doves - like Diamond Doves, Cape Doves, Zebra Doves, etc. 

I think the personality of Ringneck Doves is similar to Pigeons but maybe slightly more reserved. My Ringneck Doves are very tame and friendly. They follow me around the house and will eventually all perch on me if I sit still for a few minutes! I have even had tame Diamond Doves - they can be very friendly too, if you can tame them. It's whatever you like... but remember, the smaller the bird, the smaller the poops!

Some pics of my Ringnecks:







A tame Diamond Dove I had back in the 1980s and 1990s. He lived for 15 years and fathered 7 babies.


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