Are pigeons purple or green? (along with the usual gray of cource)
2006-12-15 18:04:59 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
If you had to pick, green or purple
2006-12-17 10:47:35 · update #1
Okay - Here's the facts!
The common pigeon, Columba livia, is a mix of gray, black, and white. The neck blend of the bird has an iridescent green/purple sheen caused, not by oil, but by air spaces within the feather that refract light. Male (cock) birds have more iridescence than do female (hen) pigeons. A good example is the blue bar bird on this page top left. http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/pigeongenetics/
There ARE many many species of pigeon, however. Not all pigeons are Columba livia. There ARE many of the fruit pigeons that have brilliant green, purple, red, etc., plumage. They cannot be bred with the common pigeon. Some good examples of these species can be found here. Check out the Jambu Fruit Dove (Pigeon) on the bottom of the page.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/pigeongenetics/columbids.html
You may also like to check out:
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/Sampler3-PigeonsDoves.htm
2006-12-17 05:47:24 · answer #1 · answered by ieguy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pigeons come in many different colorings. I believe you are talking about the typical city pigeon gray which shimmers green and purple in the sunlight. This has more to do with the oils secreted by their skin which they preen onto their feathers. These oils reflect all the colors of the rainbow in the sunlight, much like water does... and in fact also the old oil my boyfriend spilled on the driveway when changing the oil in his vanagon... it mostly only shimmers green and purple also.
2006-12-16 02:30:44 · answer #2 · answered by RenaMac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
City pigeons can be in several different color "morphs". (Morph is a term used for different colors in the same species) There is even a place to monitor the different morphs seen with Cornell University. This program is used in the inner city to get kids interested in wildlife. Here is the web page on the morphs.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/urbanbirds/HowTo/ubs_PIW_SP_ColorMorphsEN.html
2006-12-16 10:18:36 · answer #3 · answered by sngcanary 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YEAH! pigeons are purple and green and even black,maroon,orange and yellow
2006-12-16 02:38:58 · answer #4 · answered by billy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
green with shades of purple
2006-12-16 02:28:20 · answer #5 · answered by N!tsuj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
green
2006-12-16 02:16:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it all depends on how they breed and they're colors can vary.
2006-12-16 02:22:22 · answer #7 · answered by JOhNe=mc² 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ofcourse white :)
2006-12-20 07:11:07 · answer #8 · answered by gameboy christian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
both
2006-12-16 02:06:10 · answer #9 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes!
2006-12-16 03:24:10 · answer #10 · answered by Jusme 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋