Domestic pigeon

The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is a bird that has lived closely with humans for many thousands of years. It is a domesticated version of the wild rock dove, known scientifically as Columba livia.

While some people call them a subspecies, they are actually a massive collection of over 350 different breeds. These birds are important because of their long history as food, pets, and symbolic animals. They are also famous for their homing ability, which allowed them to serve as messengers during both World Wars.

Humans have shaped the appearance of pigeons through selective breeding. This process creates many distinct types of birds. One group includes pigeons with exaggerated crops, tails, or manes. Another group contains tumblers, which are very diverse, as well as homing pigeons and owl pigeons.

Some breeds, called croppers, can inflate their crops with air to create a large, globe-like shape. Other pigeons have unique physical traits like a crest. A crest is a mutation in the EphB2 gene that makes feathers grow upward on the head instead of toward the tail.

Color and markings in pigeons are also highly varied due to genetics. The three main base colors are blue, brown, and ash-red. These colors are linked to sex chromosomes in a ZW system. In this system, male birds (cockbirds) inherit color genes from both parents. Female birds (hens) only inherit their color patterns from their fathers.

Patterns on the wing coverts also vary. There are four main types: wild-type bar, check, T-check, and barless. The T-check pattern is the most dominant, while the barless pattern is the least dominant.

Some pigeons show even more unusual physical changes. Certain varieties have feathers on their feet instead of scales. This happens because of changes in the DNA that controls the Pitx1 and Tbx5 genes. Scientists study this to understand how dinosaurs might have transitioned from feathers to scales.

Other pigeons have "fat quills." These are modified feathers containing a yellow, oil-like fat. This fat helps the bird during preening and can help reduce bacteria on the feathers.

The history of the pigeon is very old. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets show that people domesticated pigeons more than 5,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians also kept them. Some research even suggests domestication may have started 10,000 years ago.

Famous leaders like Akbar the Great traveled with thousands of pigeons. In the 18th century, European "fanciers" began breeding fancy pigeons. They imported birds from the Middle East and South Asia to create new breeds. Even Charles Darwin studied these birds. He wrote a book called "The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication" based on his experiences.

Pigeons arrived in the Americas via European colonists. Some records say they reached Port Royal, Nova Scotia, in 1606. Other sources place their arrival in Jamestown or Plymouth during the early 17th century. Today, many pigeons live in cities as feral birds. These birds are often seen as pests because of their droppings.

Because domestic and feral pigeons breed with wild rock doves, truly wild birds are now rare. They are mostly found in remote places like the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.

The life cycle of a pigeon is very fast. It begins with a baby called a squab, which is born blind and covered in down.

Both parents are very protective of their nests. They feed the squabs a special substance called crop milk. This milk is very high in protein and fat.

This high-energy food allows squabs to grow very quickly. They reach their full adult size in only about four weeks. Because they mature so fast and can breed often, pigeon populations can grow very large in a short time.