Columbidae is a bird family consisting of pigeons and doves. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. The family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.
Streptopelia is a genus of birds in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae. These are mainly slim, small to medium-sized species. The upperparts tend to be pale brown and the underparts are often a shade of pink. Many have a characteristic black-and-white patch on the neck and monotonous cooing songs.
Chalcophaps is a genus of small doves, commonly called emerald doves, that are found in Indomalaya and Australasia.
The Tanna ground dove, also known as Forster's dove of Tanna, is an extinct dove species. Its taxonomic affiliation is uncertain but at its first scientific discussion by Johann Georg Wagler in 1829 it was classified into the genus Gallicolumba ; its closest relative is possibly the Santa Cruz ground dove. It was endemic to the Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu. Forster records a native name mahk, almost certainly from the Kwamera language.
The thick-billed ground dove is an extinct dove species of the family Columbidae.
The plain-breasted ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It lacks the scaled appearance to the feathers of the similar and typically more abundant common ground dove.
The bronze ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.
The Palau ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Palau, living in forests. The IUCN has assessed it as an endangered species.
The Polynesian ground dove is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Tuamotus in French Polynesia with recent records from the atolls of Matureivavao, Rangiroa, Tenararo, Morane, Vahanga and perhaps Tikehau. It favors tropical forests, especially with Pandanus tectorius, Pisonia grandis and shrubs, but it has also been recorded from dense shrub growing below coconut palms. It is threatened by habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as cats and rats. The total population is estimated to be around 100-120 birds and it has already disappeared from several islands where it formerly occurred.
The Wetar ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae found on Wetar, Indonesia, and on Timor. Its natural habitats are monsoon forests and gallery forests, and possibly woodland and bamboos. Threatened by habitat loss and hunting, the species is assessed as endangered by the IUCN.
The white-breasted ground dove, white-bibbed ground dove, or purple ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The white-fronted ground dove or Caroline Islands ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Micronesia.
The Marquesan ground dove is a bird species in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
The Santa Cruz ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in the southern Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Tongan ground dove, also known as the shy ground dove or friendly ground dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in American Samoa, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Wallis and Futuna Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The grey-green fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The claret-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in the Moluccas, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The blue-spotted wood dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is abundantly present throughout Africa south of the Sahel; it is partially present in East Africa and absent in southern Africa.
Spilopelia is a genus of doves that are closely related to Streptopelia, yet distinguished from them by differences in morphology and behavior. Some authors have argued that Stigmatopelia is the valid name as it appears in an earlier line although also erected by the Swedish zoologist Carl Sundevall, but Richard Schodde and Ian J. Mason in their zoological catalogue of Australian birds chose Spilopelia citing clause 24(b) of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) which supports the decision of the first reviser. The name Spilopelia combines the Ancient Greek spilos meaning "spot" and peleia meaning "dove".
Pampusana is a mid-sized genus of ground-dwelling doves which occur in rainforests in the Pacific region. They are not closely related to the American ground doves.
