The dove is the symbol of peace throughout the world with its immaculate white plumage, and the turtledove is the symbol of the transfixed lover cooing in front of his beloved.
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How to recognize a dove?
To know how to recognize a dove, simply refer to the representation that we make of it in books when it comes to representing the emblem of peace.
The dove is a small white bird, from the pigeon family, which measures between 25 and 33 cm and has a small head on a thin neck and an athletic body.
While there are many species of dove, this generic term also includes, for bird breeders at least, small pigeons with white plumage.
The dove is a bird that likes to live in groups and, in fact, adapts very well to life in captivity.
However, the dove must live in a very large aviary to have the space necessary to spread its wings and to be able to fly at ease.
How to recognize a dove?
The dove is first recognized by its very characteristic song.
Three notes not rolled at the bottom of the jabot and repeated tirelessly to a rhythm of its own.
Whether it coos to mark its territory, court its partner or ward off danger, the dove is present everywhere in Europe and never fails to make itself heard.
In France, the Turkish dove (
Streptopelia decaocto)
is a sedentary bird, which likes to nest in our gardens.
A little smaller than the pigeon, the dove can be identified by looking at its colors: it has light gray or pale gray-brown plumage, a black beak (or pink depending on the intensity of the gray of the feathers), eyes red-brown and a small black ruff on the nape of the neck.
The head and chest are slightly pink.
The Turkish dove.
Mihir Joshi - stock.adobe.com
She appreciates living in a group, but especially likes living as a couple.
It is difficult to differentiate the male and the female in the dove because they have the same plumage.
Did you know ?
The Turkish dove lays 2 to 5 clutches of 2 eggs per year.
Dove or dove: the main differences
If it is sometimes so complicated to differentiate doves and doves, it is because both belong to the large family of columbidae and their main characteristics are the same.
Doves and doves have the same proportions of size and weight, their beaks have wax at the base, they have long rounded wings, and the thumbs of their legs point backwards.
The main difference lies in the color of their feathers: the dove has a plain white plumage (or even gray-blue for the diamond dove), while the dove has a light gray plumage decorated with black drawings on the feathers and a line on the neck.
The dove is a little smaller than the dove, itself smaller than a pigeon.