Identifying Which Bird Is Which
While it can be challenging to differentiate the two birds because they are both descendants of the wild Rock Dove, there are ways to discern the two. When considering both animals, there are at least three differences.- Physical stature and appearance: The easiest way to tell the difference between a dove and a pigeon is their size. Pigeons tend to be larger than doves with shorter and less expressive tails. In general, doves are brighter than pigeons, but that depends on the species and region.
- Predators: Pigeons are primarily hunted by other birds with dive velocity, think peregrine falcons and hawks. Doves not only contend with predatory birds, but ground doves must also fear snakes and rats, especially as it relates to their eggs.
- Calls: While both doves and pigeons make similar sounds, the trumpeter pigeon turns the typical coo into something unique, like a low laugh. Each bird, descending from the same species, has similar vocal instruments, meaning it could take an expert to spot the difference based solely on sound.