Pigeons and doves are one of the most cosmopolitan of bird families. All easily recognisable, some are even brightly coloured and beautiful - even the pesky, city-dwelling pigeon has a certain head-bobbing charm. Pigeons and doves thrive in pretty much every habitat on Earth, only the Arctic Circle and Antarctica have none. One of the most famous, or infamous, extinctions of recent times was a species of pigeon. The passenger pigeon was perhaps the most numerous bird that ever lived, however, billions were wiped out in under 50 years. Explore some of the remaining 300 or so species from the turtle dove and Old World pigeon groups below.

Big Garden Birdwatch live webcam: We have live images of the UK's garden birds in partnership with the RSPB.

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