Biology of Pigeon: Appearance, biology, life cycle, habitat, diet, behavior

The Latin name for pigeon is Columba Livia, or bird of Leaden. There are over 350 varieties of pigeon that have been recorded to date. They originate from Asia, North Africa and Europe.

The pigeons eat mostly seeds, but their diet can be different from one type of species to another. There are some species that eat on the ground, and they are called granivorous species. They eat worms, insects and fruits. Feral pigeons that live in urban places live off of seeds or on human refuse like fast food waste. The wood pigeon has different types of diets and it includes berries and vegetables.

The life expectancies of pigeons are different. Some may live from three to five years while others live up to 15 years. The peregrine falcon is the common predator of wild pigeons. A feral pigeon does not have too many predators, and humans are their main threat when they live in human habitation.

Pigeons are able to fly up to 6000 feet and even more. Their average speed is 77.6 mph, but they have also been recorded to fly up to 92.5mph. Like humans, pigeons are able to see in different colors, but they can also see the ultraviolet light which a human eye is not able to see. This is why pigeons are used in search and rescue missions since they have this unique sense which is combined with their all round vision.

Pigeons can breed the entire year, but their peak breeding period is in summer and spring. They are columbiformes, which means that a female and a male will mate for their entire life. Some wild birds like to live on coastal cliffs while others live in the inland cliffs. Feral birds live in buildings or on them if they are in urban places. The two parents incubate two eggs for 19 days. Their chicks are called squabs and they are fed the crop milk by the two parents. Their fledging period is around 30 days. The pigeons are able to breed when they reach 6 months old.

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