What is the difference between a turtledove and a pigeon?

There are so many strange and bizarre creatures in nature that we have to sincerely admire the magic of the Creator. Among them are animals and plants. Some of them are cute, while others look ferocious. Some look similar, while others are very different. Even someone who comes into contact with them frequently may sometimes make mistakes. So we are constantly discovering and naming various creatures. But there are still many, many creatures waiting for us to understand. In our lives, there are also animals that look similar. Today I want to talk about two kinds of birds. What is the difference between turtledoves and pigeons?

Pigeon

1. A species of pigeon in the family Columbidae. Pigeons are also called domestic pigeons and domestic doves. The ancestors of pigeons are wild rock pigeons. Tens of thousands of years ago, wild pigeons flew in flocks, built nests, lived and reproduced on dangerous rocks and cliffs in caves along the coast. Because pigeons have an instinctive desire to nest, a strong homing tendency, and the ability to forage for food in the wild, they were recognized by humans over time, and people began to raise pigeons as poultry unconsciously and then consciously.

2. According to relevant historical records, as early as 5,000 years ago, Egyptians and Greeks had trained wild pigeons into domestic pigeons. Pigeons like to eat stones, which is related to their special digestive system. Pigeons have no teeth, so food is swallowed directly into the esophagus and stored in the gizzard. The pigeon's gizzard is very tough, the stomach wall muscles are well developed, the inner wall is covered with a cuticle, and the stones are stored in the stomach cavity. After the food enters the muscular stomach, the stomach wall muscles contract, the cuticle, stones, and food rub against each other, and the food is ground into powder. Therefore, stones act like teeth, so pigeons must constantly swallow stones in order to digest food. Pigeons can generally only digest 60% of their food, and the rest is excreted with feces. Due to their special stomach and intestines, they are also called chicken intestines (small stomach and chicken intestines).

turtledove

1.The turtledove is a common species in China. The upper body feathers are mainly brown, the head and neck are gray-brown and dyed with wine brown; the forehead and top of the head are gray or blue-gray, and there is a black feather with blue-gray feather edges on each side of the base of the neck, and the feather edges of the shoulder feathers are reddish brown; the upper back is brown, and the lower back to the waist are blue-gray; the tip of the tail is blue-gray, and the central tail feathers are brown; the chin and throat are pink; the lower body is reddish brown. The plumage of males and females is similar.

2. They live in forest areas in mountains, foothills or plains, and mainly gather in small groups at the edge of forests, cultivated land and their vicinity. In autumn and winter, they migrate to the plains and often live in groups with spotted doves. It flies like a dove and often glides. The sound is monotonous and low. Be very vigilant. It feeds on sorghum, wheat seeds, rice, fruits, and sometimes insect larvae.

3. The nest is built on a tree, usually 3 to 7 meters above the ground, made of branches and has a simple structure. The nest is flat and disc-shaped, with an outer diameter of about 30×40 cm and an inner diameter of about 8.0×8.5 cm. Two eggs are laid in each nest. The egg is white, with a diameter of 33×24 mm. The incubation period is about 18 days, and the chick period is about 18 days. The meat of turtledoves is delicious and there are many of them, making them an economically valuable game bird.