Pigeon Species

There are over 300 different types of pigeon around the world. Although I cannot list all of them here I will point out a few that have caught my attention or are very interesting.

Bleeding Heart Pigeon: This pigeon is found on the Philippine Islands. Their diet consists of berries, seeds, and insects. The unique thing about this pigeon, though, (as you can see in the picture) is that it has blood red feathers in the middle of its chest, making it appear as though it is bleeding. The reason for this is still unknown.

Nicobar Pigeon: This beautiful bird is found in South-East Asia (Primarily on the Nicobar Islands). Much like the Bleeding Heart Pigeon this pigeon feeds on insects, seeds and berries. The colors on this pigeon are amazing. It has a white tail, glimmering green/blue body, red feet, and a purple head.

Victoria Crowned Pigeon: This bird is the biggest of the pigeon family, and is almost as big as a Peacock! The law now protects them from extinction as they used to be hunted for their crests and meat. They are reported to live around New-Guinea and feed on fruits, large seeds, berries and Small Mammals! The particularly noticeable thing about this pigeon is its size and large crest on top of its head. These birds do not possess a gull bladder or oil glands, and have 16 tail feathers instead of the normal 12 found in most pigeons.

Fantail Pigeons: This is a very strange type of pigeon, most (if not all) of its population is domesticated, and those that are not are spread across the world. These are a flightless type of pigeon and are direct descendants from the Rock Dove (Though it is very hard to tell). It feeds on fruit and the foods I have mentioned in the beginner section.

Homing Pigeons: The most widespread type of pigeon and the most popular. The thing they are most famous for are racing, and most of the famous pigeons I have mentioned in the next page where homing pigeons. They eat all of the foods I have described in the beginner section along with fruits and berries.

Tumbler Pigeons: these pigeons are known for their "tumbling" ability which they use while in flight. They roll over and do somersaults while flying. Originally this ability (or defect) was thought to be caused by epilepsy, but it is now known to be caused by a genetic defect in the birds inner system of balance.

Owl Pigeons: There are lots of popular varieties in this group, and are very popular amongst beginners. They are known for their joyful personality and easily befriend their owners. These come in a variety of colors and can be purchased for a bit more then homing pigeons.

Jacobins: Very easily identified by pigeon fanciers, because of the large crown on its forehead. These pigeons are very solitary and are not recommended for beginners (they are very hard to race) but many fancy pigeon breeders keep this species of pigeon. The longer necked version of the Jacobin is very popular to pigeon breeders as it keeps the crown away from the birds shoulder.

Mourning Doves: Doves and Pigeons are both basically the same thing. This pigeon is found all over north America and the world. The Mourning dove is also known to be very fast, and easily evades predators

Theories on Pigeon Intelligence:

There are many theories on how pigeons somehow find their way home, I will list a few here.

1: Pigeons are guided by magnetic poles back to their home.

2: Pigeons map the area around their homes so they can remember certain landmarks to find their way home.

3: Pigeons map the highways and follow them home.