# What's the difference between a Dove and a Pigeon?



## mharkpain27




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## John_D

Scientifically, none. They are all in the same 'family'.

In everyday terms, doves _usually_ tend to be smaller, but mostly it just depends on what common name they were given (like Turtle Doves, Inca Doves, Mourning Doves, Collared Doves, Diamond Doves). The (wild) pigeon from which homers, racers and fancy pigeons are descended and bred used to be called 'Rock Dove', but now it's called 'Rock Pigeon' 

The confusion can arise with 'white doves'. There are white doves - domestic ring neck doves and similar varieties. But, when there are ceremonial 'white dove' releases these birds are normally white homing pigeons. What are often called 'garden doves' are usually white pigeons such as fantails or fantail/homer cross.


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## spirit wings

the major differences are that doves the smaller domestic species like ring neck doves hatch their babies earlier than pigeons, the doves tend to be housed inside like any pet bird in a cage. pigeons on the other hand are larger and take longer for their eggs to hatch..they are robust and have the quaility of being more like outside kept farm fowl..although some very patience souls do keep them in the house. days past the squabs were for food..and really the ring necks are for magic tricks and pets..esp the white ones. pigeons can be just about any color including solid colors.. ring neck doves are not as varied in their color. wild doves are not considerd feral or domestically kept so I left those out of the comparison. it is easy to tell the difference when you see a domestic dove and a pigeon in real life side by side.


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## Libis

Doves and pigeons are the same group of animals, just as cats (incl. large cats etc) is a group. There are many species. The main difference in the pet industry/general society is that pigeons are larger (the rock pigeon, the Victorian crested pigeon, etc.) while the dove is smaller (white-winged dove, ringnecked dove, fruit dove, diamond dove, mourning dove.) In some other languages the word for dove is the same as the word for pigeon--for example "paloma."


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## mharkpain27

thanks guys


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## spirit wings

compairing wild doves and pigeons really is confusing I would not look at those to figure it out.... some fruit doves can be 18 inches.. pretty big..so really it is just allot easier to compair the domestic pigeon with the domestic ring neck dove.. the pigeon is bigger.. pretty simple. In the wild species of doves and pigeons anything goes..but wild species of pigeons are usually/can be bigger.. wild doves always being smaller though just is not true., so the differences in the wild are just in their names.


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## Libis

Yeah, the really important part for the person new to the hobby is understanding the difference between ringneck/diamond doves and rock pigeons/(used to be called "rock dove"). Especially since so many ringnecks get released when people think that they are the same birds they see at weddings etc. (those are really white homing pigeons.) The released ringnecks either are lucky enough to be found by people or are eaten by predators/starve to death.


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## November-X-Scourge

I'd also like to know...Is it possible for a rock pigeon and a mourning dove to mate? Not that I have a mourning dove... But I LOVE watching them and always wondered if the group of them at my school ever mixed with the pigeon flock (from which both November and Scourge are/were from)?


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## Libis

November-X-Scourge said:


> I'd also like to know...Is it possible for a rock pigeon and a mourning dove to mate? Not that I have a mourning dove... But I LOVE watching them and always wondered if the group of them at my school ever mixed with the pigeon flock (from which both November and Scourge are/were from)?


Yes it is possible, but not advised. It does not occur unless the animal of a different species is the only possible mate. Even then the larger bird can savage and kill the smaller.

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Articles/hybrids.htm

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f41/can-doves-breed-with-pigeons-27175.html


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## spirit wings

November-X-Scourge said:


> I'd also like to know...Is it possible for a rock pigeon and a mourning dove to mate? Not that I have a mourning dove... But I LOVE watching them and always wondered if the group of them at my school ever mixed with the pigeon flock (from which both November and Scourge are/were from)?


I suppose it would be possible in a domestic situation where the birds where caged and left to pair up. morning doves are a protected wild species of bird and migrate, so it is not only against the law to have one (unless you are a licensed rehabber and the bird is for eductional purposes and approved) but one could get a stiff fine..so if the interbreeding did happen no one would know as one could get into hot water. in nature they seek same species..so they do not intermingle to pair up.. U.S. pigeons are feral.. morning doves are wild and protected.. it is good to know the difference.


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