Are doves a type of pigeon
Executive summary
Yes — “dove” and “pigeon” are names people use for members of the same bird family, Columbidae; there is no formal scientific distinction and both terms cover the same 300+ species (for example, the rock dove is the wild form of the common city pigeon) [1] [2]. Colloquial usage usually calls smaller species “doves” and larger ones “pigeons,” but that size rule is inconsistent and not taxonomic [3] [4].
1. One family, many names: the taxonomic fact
Scientists classify these birds in a single family, Columbidae, and do not split “doves” and “pigeons” into separate taxonomic groups; both words refer to species within Columbidae, which contains roughly 300 species worldwide [1] [5].
2. Why people treat them differently: language and habit
The distinction you hear in parks and churches comes from language, culture and habit rather than biology: English speakers tend to call smaller, often white or delicate species “doves” and bulkier urban species “pigeons,” a convention rooted in different word origins (pigeon from French/Latin; dove from Germanic) rather than any scientific rule [3] [1].
3. Size and image: a useful but imperfect shorthand
Field guides and wildlife pages repeat a practical rule — doves are often smaller, pigeons larger — and that helps identification for lay observers, but there are many exceptions (for instance, very large crowned pigeons are still called pigeons and tiny ground-doves retain the “dove” name) [6] [7].
4. The rock dove / feral pigeon example: the same species, different roles
A clear example: the rock dove is the wild ancestor of the urban feral pigeon; in everyday speech people call the city bird a “pigeon,” but it is taxonomically the same species as the rock dove, illustrating how common names diverge from scientific names [2] [1].
5. Identification guidance: what matters to birders
For practical bird identification, observers rely on measurable features (size, tail shape, bill shape, plumage, behavior, habitat and calls) rather than the label “dove” or “pigeon”; field guides and conservation groups treat the terms interchangeably and list species under Columbidae [8] [9].
6. Conflicting language across sources: unanimous science, varied prose
Multiple reputable sources state the same scientific fact — no formal distinction in nomenclature — but they frame it differently for readers: some emphasize the colloquial size rule, others stress cultural symbolism (white doves for peace) or urban pest imagery for pigeons. Both perspectives are present in the reporting [5] [10].
7. Why this matters beyond semantics
The name choice can shape attitudes: “dove” tends to carry positive cultural connotations while “pigeon” can evoke nuisance imagery; this matters for public policy and wildlife management because perception influences tolerance, feeding practices and control measures — a point implicit in sources that note cultural roles and urban histories of these birds [10] [11].
8. Limitations and what reporting does not say
Available sources do not mention any new taxonomic split that would formally separate pigeons from doves; they do not assert any single, authoritative list that mandates when a species must be called one or the other beyond common-name tradition [1] [4].
9. Bottom line for readers
Call them doves or pigeons as you like in everyday speech; scientifically they are all columbids. Use species names (for example, rock dove, mourning dove, collared dove) when precision matters, because common names reflect culture and habit more than biology [1] [3].