Geographical distribution: Columba is commonly found in India, forested zone of the Pacific coast and United States. Eocene to Recent.
Habit and habitat : Columba livia is the most common and familiar bird around man, nesting in buildings, old houses, warehouses, sheds, and railway stations. Their flight is swift and strong. Breeding continues throughout the year.
Comments:
1. Commonly called as blue-rock pigeon and Kabutar in Hindi.
2. Body is divisible into head, neck, back and breast and abdomen.
3. Plumage is grey with glistening metallic green and purple on breast and neck.
4. Head contains large eyes and slit-like nostrils. It is produced into a short and slender bill or beak. Upper and lower beaks are covered by the horny sheath, called rhamphotheca. At the base of the upper beaks there is a patch of skin called Cere.
5. Beak adapted for seed-eating.
6. Eyes are large, rounded, with a well-developed nictitating membrane and a
rounded pupil.
7. Forelimbs are modified into wings which contains beside skeleton flight
feathers called as remiges. Feet are covered with epidermal scutes formed by
the fusion of several reptilian epidermal scales.
8. Hind limbs are modified for bipedal locomotion. Tarsus usually shorter than toes. Wing feathers, tail feathers present. Other structures seen are neck, breast, abdomen and black bars on wings.
9. Eggs white and unmarked.
Special features : Pigeons are the most common domesticated birds, which were in olden times used as messengers. They are also eaten by man. Their call notes are very familiar to man as gootr-goon. Pigeons serve as an excellent example for artificial selection of Darwins theory of evolution as various varieties have been produced by man. Crop large, producing pigeon milk to feed small young.
Source:
1. Practical Zoology Vertebrates by S.S.Lal. 2. A Manual of Practical Zoology Chordates by Dr. P.S. Verma.
