Editing Columbidae (section)

=== Size ===
Pigeons and doves exhibit considerable variation in size, ranging in length from {{convert|15|to|75|cm}}, and in weight from {{convert|30|g|lb|abbr=on}} to above {{convert|2000|g|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Columbidae/|title=Columbidae (doves and pigeons)|website=Animal Diversity Web}}</ref> The largest extant species are the [[crowned pigeon]]s of [[New Guinea]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arkive.org/victoria-crowned-pigeon/goura-victoria/|title=Victoria crowned-pigeon videos, photos and facts – Goura victoria|website=Arkive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424015104/http://www.arkive.org/victoria-crowned-pigeon/goura-victoria/|archive-date=24 April 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=23 April 2017}}</ref> which are nearly [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]]-sized, with lengths of {{convert|66|–|79|cm|ft|abbr=on}} and weights ranging {{convert|1.8|–|4|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arkive.org/southern-crowned-pigeon/goura-scheepmakeri/|title=Southern crowned-pigeon videos, photos and facts – Goura scheepmakeri|website=Arkive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424015544/http://www.arkive.org/southern-crowned-pigeon/goura-scheepmakeri/|archive-date=24 April 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=23 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Western Crowned-Pigeon Goura cristata |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/wecpig1/cur/introduction |website=birdsoftheworld.org |date=2020 |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |doi=10.2173/bow.wecpig1.01 |access-date=16 February 2025 |last1=Baptista |first1=Luis F. |last2=Trail |first2=Pepper W. |last3=Horblit |first3=H.M. |last4=Kirwan |first4=Guy M. |last5=Bonan |first5=Arnau |editor-first1=Josep |editor-first2=Andrew |editor-first3=Jordi |editor-first4=David |editor-first5=Eduardo |editor-last1=Del Hoyo |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-last3=Sargatal |editor-last4=Christie |editor-last5=De Juana }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Scheepmaker's Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/soucrp2/cur/introduction |website=birdsoftheworld.org |date=2020 |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |doi=10.2173/bow.soucrp2.01 |access-date=16 February 2025 |last1=Baptista |first1=Luis F. |last2=Trail |first2=Pepper W. |last3=Horblit |first3=H.M. |last4=Kirwan |first4=Guy M. |last5=Garcia |first5=Ernest |editor-first1=Josep |editor-first2=Andrew |editor-first3=Jordi |editor-first4=David |editor-first5=Eduardo |editor-last1=Del Hoyo |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-last3=Sargatal |editor-last4=Christie |editor-last5=De Juana }}</ref> One of the largest [[arboreal]] species, the [[Marquesan imperial pigeon]] with a length of {{convert|55|cm|in|abbr=on}}, currently battles extinction.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Thorsen, M., Blanvillain, C., & Sulpice, R. (2002). Reasons for decline, conservation needs, and a translocation of the critically endangered upe (Marquesas imperial pigeon, Ducula galeata), French Polynesia. Department of Conservation.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Nuku Hiva Imperial-Pigeon Ducula galeata |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/marimp1/cur/introduction |website=birdsoftheworld.org |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |doi=10.2173/bow.marimp1.01 |access-date=16 February 2025}}</ref> The extinct, flightless [[dodo]] is the largest columbid to have ever existed, with a height of about {{cvt|62.6|-|75|cm}}, and a range of suggested weights from {{convert|10.2|-|27.8|kg}}, although the higher estimates are thought to be based on overweight birds.<ref name=Hume2017>{{cite book | last1 = Hume | first1 = J. P. | author-link1 = Julian Pender Hume | year = 2017 | title = Extinct Birds | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4729-3744-5 | pages = 155–158}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Parish|first1=Jolyon C.|title=The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History|date=2013|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington (US)|isbn=978-0-253-00099-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bp8wK8zCg7wC|pages = 265–282}}</ref><ref name=Angst2011>{{cite journal| doi= 10.1007/s00114-010-0759-7| last1= Angst | first1= D.| last2= Buffetaut | first2= E.| last3= Abourachid | first3= A.| date=March 2011| title= The end of the fat dodo? A new mass estimate for ''Raphus cucullatus''| journal= Naturwissenschaften| volume= 98| issue= 3| pages= 233–236| pmid= 21240603| ref= {{sfnRef|Angst|Buffetaut|Abourachid March 2011}} |bibcode= 2011NW.....98..233A| s2cid= 29215473 }}</ref><ref name=KitchenerAugust1993>{{cite magazine |last=Kitchener |first=A. C. |date=28 August 1993 |title=Justice at last for the dodo |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |page=24 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13918884.300-justice-at-last-for-the-dodo.html |ref={{sfnRef|Kitchener August 1993}} |access-date=26 August 2017 |archive-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626154703/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13918884.300-justice-at-last-for-the-dodo.html |url-status=live }}{{subscription required}}</ref>

The least massive columbids belong to species in the genus ''[[Columbina (bird)|Columbina]]''; the common ground dove (''[[Columbina passerina]]'') and the plain-breasted ground dove (''[[Columbina minuta]]'') which are about the same size as a [[house sparrow]], weighing a little above {{convert|22|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name="HBW2"/><ref name="Uni StA pdf">{{cite web |title=The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago: Columbina minuta (Plain-breasted Ground Dove) |url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Columbina_minuta%20-%20Plain-breasted%20Ground%20Dove.pdf |website=sta.uwi.edu |publisher=The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago |access-date=14 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Plain-breasted Ground-Dove (Columbina minuta) |last1=Soberanes-González |first1=C. |last2=Rodríguez-Flores |first2=C. |last3=Arizmendi |first3=M.C.| url=http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=173941 |website=Neotropical Birds Online |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |access-date=14 February 2025}}</ref> The [[dwarf fruit dove]], which may measure as little as {{convert|13|cm|abbr=on}} long, has a marginally smaller total length than any other species from this family.<ref name="HBW2"/>

<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" widths="250" noborder="no" caption="Diversity of Pigeons and Doves">
File:Nicobar Pigeon on the bar.jpg|The Nicobar pigeon (''[[Caloenas nicobarica]]'') is often stated to be the dodo's closest living relative.
File:SNOW-PIGEON-SELA.jpg|Snow pigeon (''[[Columba leuconota]]'') in Sela, [[Arunachal Pradesh]]
File:2019-03-17 Columba oenas, Jesmond Dene 4.jpg|The stock dove (''[[Columba oenas]]'') of Europe is a typical member of the Columbinae.
File:2018-03-14 Columba palumbus eating Cotoneaster frigidus berries.jpg|The common wood pigeon (''[[Columba palumbus]]'') is common throughout Europe. This one is eating ''[[Cotoneaster frigidus]]'' berries.
File:Columbina passerina.jpg|The common ground dove (''[[Columbina passerina]]'') is one of the smallest species in the family.
File:Ducula galeata Nuku Hiva.jpg|Nuku Hiva/Marquesan imperial pigeon (''[[Ducula galeata]]'')
File:Goura victoria LC0384.jpg|The Victoria crowned pigeon (''[[Goura victoria]]'') is one of the largest extant pigeons.
File:Blue-headed quail dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala).JPG|The blue-headed quail-dove (''[[Starnoenas cyanocephala]]'') of Cuba is a [[Relict (biology)|relictual]] species with no close relatives.
File:Red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata).jpg|A red-eyed dove (''[[Streptopelia semitorquata]]'') on the [[Zambezi]] in [[Zimbabwe]]
</gallery>