Doves Vs Feral Pigeons

Birds Of A Feather Or 2nd-Class Citizens?

Generally speaking, the terms 'dove' and 'pigeon' are used interchangeably. Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pipio, for a 'peeping' chick, while dove is a Germanic word that refers to the bird's diving flight.

Both birds are members of the same bird clade, Columbidiae, which constitutes approximately 310 species. In the ornithological world, 'dove' tends to be used for the smaller of the species and 'pigeon' for larger ones.