23 Photos That Showcase The World's Most Beautiful Doves And Pigeons

I’ve never thought of pigeons as anything more than fairly dull and ubiquitous creatures that leave a lot of poop behind. But some people are really into these creatures – and they come in a variety of shapes and colors, partly because they may be one of the first domesticated birds. In fact, people have been breeding (and cross-breeding) them for hundreds of years. There are even show pigeons.

Rose-Crowned Fruit-Dove: The rose-crowned fruit dove has rainbow plumage with its pink forehead, gray head and breast, yellow and orange abdomen and undertail coverts and green wings edged with a yellow wash. These medium-sized doves prefer rainforest habitats and eat not only fruit as their name suggests, but also palm leaves and tropical vines. Widespread in their range, these doves are not threatened or endangered despite population decreases.