Columbidae Pigeons and Doves

With their small heads, characteristic head-bobbing walking gait, and deep-stroked flight, doves and pigeons are familiar worldwide. In many regions, this group is represented by a collection of earthtoned species that differ in small aspects of white spotting, etc. But, as with parrots, the columbid fauna of Australia is diverse in plumage and morphology. Almost all columbids build a flimsy platform nest of sticks, and most lay only one or two eggs. By feeding their young chicks “crop milk” from the epithelial cells of their alimentary tract, they can take advantage of a diverse diet and thus extend their breeding seasons longer than any other temperate birds in the wild.