Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. 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 plants, and can be taxonomically divided amongst granivores, that feed mostly on the ground on seeds, and frugivores, that feed mostly on fruits, from branches. The family occurs worldwide, often in close proximity with humans, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.
The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae.
The bird genus Columba comprises a group of medium to large pigeons. The terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used indiscriminately for smaller and larger Columbidae, respectively. Columba species – at least those of Columba sensu stricto – are generally termed "pigeons", and in many cases wood-pigeons. The rock dove has given rise to the majority of domesticated pigeon breeds, such as the racing pigeon and the fantail pigeon, some of which have become feral. Meanwhile, "wood pigeon" by itself usually means the common wood pigeon.
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.
Gallicolumba is a mid-sized genus of ground-dwelling doves which occur in rainforests on the Philippines. Local name 'punay' which is a general term for pigeons and doves. They are not closely related to the American ground doves genus. Rather, the present genus is closest to the thick-billed ground pigeon.
The thick-billed ground dove is an extinct dove species of the family Columbidae.
The white-throated ground dove is a species of ground dove in the genus Gallicolumba. It is classified as near-threatened.
The blue pigeons are a genus, Alectroenas, of birds in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. They are native to islands in the western Indian Ocean.
The Polynesian ground dove or Society Islands ground dove or Tutururu is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Columbidae. Originally endemic to the Society Islands and Tuamotus in French Polynesia, it has now been extirpated from most of its former range by habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as cats and rats, and the species is now endemic only in the Acteon islands. The total population is estimated to be around 100-120 birds.
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 Norfolk ground dove was a species of bird in the Columbidae, or pigeon family.
The Marquesan ground dove or Marquesas 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 great ground dove is an extinct species of bird in the family Columbidae. It was found in Mangaia in the southern Cook Islands, and in French Polynesia where subfossil bones between 1000 and 2000 years old have been found in the Marquesas, as well as between 750 and 1250 years old at the Fa'ahia early occupation site on Huahine in the Society Islands.
The Henderson ground dove, or Henderson Island ground dove, is an extinct species of bird in the family Columbidae. It was described from Holocene to possibly Late Pleistocene-aged subfossil remains found on Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group in 1991. Its relatively small wings suggest it was flightless.
