A Pure White Dove Is Still a Pigeon
Written on Apr 29, 2026
When you search Wikipedia for "dove" or "pigeon", the site redirects you to the page about Columbidae. That's because there aren't any scientific differences between them. In Tagalog (the Filipino language), kalapati refers to both.
The Pure White Dove
Not all doves are white. Whether it's called a dove or pigeon depends entirely on the person (or the people) naming it. People raise and collect pure white doves because of all the symbolism they represent.
That symbolism includes love, new beginnings, peace, and prosperity. It also includes the "departure" of a loved one at a funeral or memorial. Doves are typically released into the air during some wedding and death-related ceremonies.
The Pigeon
Unlike doves, many people believe pigeons are dirty. Pigeons are no dirtier than other birds. They will poop in flight like all the rest. They bother people who see them on their rooftops. Some people have pigeon spikes put in place so the pigeons can't land in those spots.
In big cities in the United States, you can spot large flocks of pigeons in various places, along the sides of buildings with overhangs and such. Like other birds, they hang out where they can be close to food supplies, whatever that food happens to be.
I saw the same thing with gulls when I was going through Marine Corps basic training in San Diego, California. Those birds would hang out near the food disposal containers. People ignored them like pigeons until they started pooping on people.
Pigeons are a source of food. Yes, you can eat them. Their meat is tough, just like old turkeys. The people who eat them regularly try to eat them when they’re young, when they’re called "squabs". The meat isn’t tough until they’re adult birds.
In all the years I've lived in the Philippines, I've never seen more than one pigeon at a time, and someone was always holding it. I suppose a large population of them can't exist in a place where many people are constantly in need of food.
Fancy Pigeons
For a year or so in the 1970s, one of my older brothers was doing yard work (for pay) for one of his school teachers. That school teacher raised show pigeons and show rabbits. I was younger than 13 at the time, so I don't remember much about it.
My brother took an interest in the show pigeons, called "fancy pigeons". I don't remember how long he raised some by himself. He only went to one or two shows before he gave up on it.
He did the same thing with the show rabbits, but I remember even less about that period of time.
Image by Marc Pascual from Pixabay