Pretty privilege: the reason why we love White Doves but hate Pigeons!

Have you ever seen a group of people cooing over a white dove and then scowling at a pigeon just a few feet away? Believe it or not, these birds are actually the same species – just with different colouring! :O

That's right, the white dove and the common pigeon both belong to the same species, the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). That means they eat the same, poop the same, and even spread the same diseases. I bring this last point up, because some people have taken to calling Rock Pigeons the ‘rats of the skies’ and treat these birds like vermin - rounding them up and culling them.

Of course, I am not trying to criticise any government or agency for reducing their numbers, as I know some cities are truly overpopulated by Rock Pigeons. There was once I was on holiday in Milan, and a bird pooped on my hand just as I was about to bite into my croissant breakfast! T_T

But why do we treat them so differently? Well, in my opinion, it's simple: pretty privilege!!!!!

White doves are so clean and white and pure, and are seen as symbols of peace, love, and good luck. (In fact they are sometimes even used in weddings!)

White Doves can be bought and released for a wedding. Apparently, doves symbolize love, peace, happiness, and prosperity, and thus are a popular bird released outdoors as the couple leaves the church or during an outdoor ceremony.

Pigeons are grey and somewhat ‘muddy’ in appearance and are often seen as dirty, annoying, pests and nuisances. :(

But let's take a closer look at the pigeon and learn more about them

In a previous article, we learned that although pigeons can be found in pretty much every major city today (like Milan, Singapore, London and more) the species is originally from the Mediterranean region.

The species we see today are called the Domestic Pigeon (since they’ve been domesticated) but the original species was called the Rock Pigeon - they loved, and nested around, hard surfaces such as rocks.

Image credit: Wildlife Insight

Their natural affinity for hard surfaces allowed them to adapt perfectly to urban areas, and they are super comfortable nesting on hard surfaces such as buildings.

And although many of us are familiar with domesticated birds like chickens, ducks and geese, I bet you didn’t know that the Rock Pigeon is actually the world's first and oldest domesticated bird!!

Artefacts from people living in ancient cultures - from Mesopotamia to Egypt - mention the domestication of pigeons. These artefacts date back to over 5,000 years ago! They were also mentioned in the Bible, where they were seen as a source of food for the Israelites during their journey through the desert.

On the other hand, it seems like chickens were first domesticated around 3,500 years ago. And just like chickens, it seems that pigeons were probably domesticated to be used as food.

So if they’re the same species, why do doves and pigeons look so different?

Oh boy, that's a real feathered question! You see, white doves and pigeons, despite being the same species, Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), have evolved in very different ways.

You can think of dog breeds as an example. Technically, all dogs are the same species (Canis lupus familiaris) but many different traits have been selectively bred over hundreds of years to produce breeds as diverse as the Chihuahua and German Shephard.

Take one look at these two dogs side and side and you won’t be blamed for thinking they belong to two completely different species - but the truth is they belong to the same species and can even breed with each other! (I don’t want to imagine how that would work, though…)

Similarly, White Doves are bred for their beauty and elegance and are often used in wedding ceremonies and other special events, so they have been selectively bred over time to be pure white, with a slender body and elegant tail feathers.

Image credit: PigeonType Info. An example of selectively bred pigeons. Breeding pigeons was a popular hobby in England in Darwin's time. By selecting which pigeons were allowed to mate, people had a profound effect on their appearance, such as the shape and size of their beaks and the color of their feathers. Dog breeding is another prime example of artificial selection.

On the other hand, pigeons that we typically see on city streets are wild and are generally grey, with a chunkier body and shorter, rounded tail feathers. These wild pigeons have evolved to adapt to their environment and be good at surviving in urban areas. I assume that grey feathers mean they blend in better with their grey surroundings.

So you could say, white doves and pigeons are like two birds of a feather!

What do you think? Do you agree that pretty privilege is the reason why we love White Doves but hate Pigeons?