What is the difference between wild pigeons and turtledoves? A quick guide to telling them apart
Everyone knows that wild pigeons and turtledoves are very similar and rather hard to tell apart, but they do have some differences, so what exactly is the difference between wild pigeons and turtledoves?
1. A detailed introduction to wild pigeons
The scientific name of the wild pigeon is the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis), and it is a kind of turtledove; it also has many other names, such as spotted-necked dove, spotted turtledove, spotted-neck turtledove, partridge bird and intermediate dove. Its main distribution areas are South Asia, Southeast Asia and the vast southern regions of China.
Wild pigeons are generally divided into two types, rock-dwelling and tree-dwelling, and include many species such as the rock dove, wood pigeon and snow pigeon.
Wild pigeons are very easy to tame, and can also be crossbred with domestic pigeons to develop new varieties.
2. A detailed introduction to turtledoves
Turtledove is the collective name for birds of the genus Streptopelia in the order Columbiformes; their main physical features are: brown upper body feathers, grey-brown head and neck, reddish-brown shoulder feathers, and a grey or blue-grey forehead and crown.
Turtledoves live in many places, such as mountainous areas, forest areas on plains, foothills and farmland. The main categories are the red turtledove, the oriental turtledove and the spotted dove; the oriental turtledove is fairly widely distributed and is found in every province and region of China.
3. The difference between wild pigeons and turtledoves
1. Different meanings: a wild pigeon refers to one kind of turtledove, whose scientific name is the spotted dove, while turtledove is the collective name for birds of the genus Streptopelia in the order Columbiformes;
2. Different classifications: wild pigeons can be divided into the rock dove, wood pigeon, snow pigeon and so on, while turtledoves are divided into the spotted dove, red turtledove, oriental turtledove and so on;
3. Different inclusion relationships: a wild pigeon is definitely a turtledove, but a turtledove is not necessarily a wild pigeon.
If you want to taste the delicious flavor of pigeon, it is best to choose artificially raised ones; many wild animals may be nationally protected animals, and catching them is illegal and easily damages the ecological environment.