| 
                
                  | Columbidae - Doves, Pigeons
 
 |  |  
                  |  |   There are around 318 species of doves and pigeons found around the world, except in Antarctica. They have small heads, plump bodies, short necks, and small bills with soft fleshy covering at the base called the cere. They have a ring of skin around their eyes that can be red, yellow, blue, or white. They eat seeds, fruits, and other plant matter. Doves and pigeons that eat seeds are usually gray or brown; fruit eating species are often more brightly colored. Doves and pigeons are found in a wide variety of habitats including: rainforests, swamps, woodlands, deserts, grasslands, and cities! Pigeons and doves pairs stay together and mate from year-to-year. Pigeons and doves feed their chicks crop-milk for the first few days after they hatch. Crop milk is a milky substance that comes form the bird's crop. The crop is special food-storage chamber that is part of the bird's digestive system. Both the male and the female produce crop milk. Crop milk is high in fat and vitamins A and B and helps the chicks grow!
 
  One species in this family that was once found in North America is the passenger pigeon. 
                The passenger pigeon was a common bird in central and eastern North America. Scientists estimate that the population at one time may have numbered between three and five million birds. It lived in large colonies. 
 The passenger pigeon probably became extinct from a combination of natural and man-made causes. Hunting, along with a low reproduction rate, probably led to the bird's extinction. The last known passenger pigeon died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
    World Status Key
  Least Concern  Near Threatened  Vulnerable  Endangered  Critically Endangered  Extinct Wild  Extinct Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.
 US Status Key
  Threatened in US  Threatened in NH  Endangered in US  Endangered in NH  Breeds in NH  Introduced Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game
 
                  
                    | New Hampshire Species  |  |  North/Central American Species  |  
                    | Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura    Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
      |  | Brown-backed  Dove - Leptotila battyi   Gray-chested  Dove - Leptotila cassini
  Caribbean  Dove - Leptotila jamaicensis
   Gray-headed  Dove - Leptotila plumbeiceps
   Gray-fronted  Dove - Leptotila rufaxilla
   White-tipped  Dove - Leptotila verreauxi
   Grenada  Dove - Leptotila wellsi
   Ring-tailed  Pigeon - Patagioenas caribaea
   Pale-vented  Pigeon - Patagioenas cayennensis
   Bare-eyed  Pigeon - Patagioenas corensis
   Band-tailed  Pigeon - Patagioenas fasciata
   Red-billed  Pigeon - Patagioenas flavirostris
   Dusky  Pigeon - Patagioenas goodsoni
   Plain  Pigeon - Patagioenas inornata
   White-crowned  Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala
   Short-billed  Pigeon - Patagioenas nigrirostris
   Plumbeous  Pigeon - Patagioenas plumbea
   Scaled  Pigeon - Patagioenas speciosa
   Scaly-naped  Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa
   Ruddy  Pigeon - Patagioenas subvinacea
   Blue-headed Quail-dove - Starnoenas  cyanocephala
   Spotted Dove - Stigmatopelia  chinensis
   Oriental Turtle-dove - Streptopelia  orientalis
   White-winged  Dove - Zenaida asiatica
   Eared Dove  - Zenaida auriculata
   Zenaida Dove  - Zenaida aurita
   Socorro  Dove - Zenaida graysoni
   |  
                    | North/Central American Species  |  |  
                    | Maroon-chested  Ground-dove - Claravis mondetoura   Blue  Ground-dove - Claravis pretiosa
   Inca Dove  - Columbina inca
   Plain-breasted  Ground-dove - Columbina minuta
   Common  Ground-dove - Columbina passerina
   Scaled  Dove - Columbina squammata
   Ruddy Ground-dove  - Columbina talpacoti
   Passenger  Pigeon - Ectopistes migratorius
   White-faced Quail-dove - Geotrygon  albifacies
   Gray-headed Quail-dove - Geotrygon  caniceps
   Tuxtla Quail-dove - Geotrygon  carrikeri
   Rufous-breasted Quail-dove - Geotrygon  chiriquensis
   Key West Quail-dove - Geotrygon  chrysia
   Buff-fronted Quail-dove - Geotrygon  costaricensis
   Russet-crowned Quail-dove - Geotrygon  goldmani
   Purplish-backed Quail-dove - Geotrygon  lawrencii
   Lined Quail-dove - Geotrygon  linearis
   Ruddy Quail-dove - Geotrygon  montana
   Bridled Quail-dove - Geotrygon  mystacea
   Olive-backed Quail-dove - Geotrygon  veraguensis
   Crested Quail-dove - Geotrygon  versicolor
   Violaceous Quail-dove - Geotrygon  violacea
  |  |    |