Pigeons and doves have been under human care for thousands of years, blurring the lines between wild and domestic varieties due to significant overlap. There is no scientific difference between pigeons and doves, so the bird that we all know as a city pigeon is actually called the Rock Dove.  They feed mainly on plants, including grains, seeds, and fruit, but they are adaptable to many different food sources.

 

These birds form monogamous pairs and cooperate in most aspects of breeding. They make famously flimsy nests, which are mostly built to keep eggs from rolling off the cliff faces where they naturally nest. Young pigeons, known as squeakers or squabs, are fed "crop milk," a nutritious substance produced in the parent's throat. Young squabs scrape the milk from their parents' throats for the first few days of life, after which they start to eat regurgitated food from the parents.

 

Unusual among birds, pigeons can drink while facing downward by creating suction with their beaks, a behavior not commonly observed in avian species.