Important note: The only important distinction is that what is sold in pet stores as "true doves" don't have a "homing instinct". If they are released into the wild, they will most certainly die. Never release a bird into the wild without knowing its abilities. Only "racing homers" can be humanely released into the wild, as they possess both the instinct and the intelligence to fly directly home to the safety of their loft. Racing homers have been selectively bred for thousands upon thousands of generations for this ability, and even with all that, they must go through rigorous training before attempting a release. Question: Are they pigeons or are they doves? Answer: Doves and Pigeons are very closely related. The standard method of classification (Linnaean) places them both in the same family (Columbidae). The next sub-division under this classification system is genus. The family Columbidae consists of at least forty different genus that include both pigeons and doves, which are more or less interchangeable. See Chart "In
ornithological (See
Definition) practice, there is
a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and
"pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently
applied, and historically the common names for these birds involve
a great deal of variation between the term "dove" and
"pigeon". See
Wikipedia Citation
and again: The smaller species within Columbidae are often called doves and the larger species pigeons, but these names do not necessarily reflect true differences and are often used interchangeably. See University of Michigan Most "Dove Release" companies make a case for the "Columba Livia", which is frequently called a "Rock Dove", which is also known as the "common pigeon". While this is not dishonest, there is clearly a marketability issue that they are dancing around and trying to avoid. Perhaps it is because that in our culture, pigeons are frequently thought of as being a nuisance. No doubt, this feeling is enhanced due to the bird’s habit of colonizing tall buildings and making a mess down below. While we think of the "dove", on the other hand, as being more solitary and doesn't cohabit with humans to the same degree. Further more, they have also been idealized in modern literature to a much greater degree. With the result that for most people the word "dove" brings to mind a smaller pure white bird, even though the vast majority of doves are not. So from a marketing point of view, a "pigeon" ceremony just doesn't sound as appealing to us as having a "dove" ceremony, even if the there is no clear distinction between the two. As for myself, when using pure white pigeons in religious ceremonies, such as weddings and funerals, I only need to look as far as the Old Testament for what is clearly one of the most ancient references to doves and pigeons. "If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or a young pigeon. Leviticus 1:14 (NIV) So from a biblical perspective,
there is no preference for a dove over a pigeon. To the ancient
Hebrews, one was as acceptable as the other before God. There was
also no requirement for it to be pure white, but that has become
symbolically more important in the last century.
Being a Christian myself, there is one distinction that is of paramount importance here. In regards to a sacrifice, or a "sin offering" being made before God the Father, Christ was Himself made an offering for all time, and thereby ushered in a new covenant between man and God. In so doing, the requirement for the shedding of blood for forgiveness has forever more been abolished, so happily, the birds used in your ceremony will return home to fly another day. |
