Speckled pigeon (Dialiptila phaeonota to Columba guinea) is found very widely in Africa. This is found from Senegal east to Chad and south to the Central African Republic. This appears absent as far south as Zaire and Gabon. This large 15 inch pigeon can be easily identified by the white spots on its inner dorsal wings. There is a red eye spot, gray head, and pale neck marked with vertical reddish streaks. The breast is pale blue. There is a small pale band across the center of the black squared off tail. This pigeon is somewhat dark colored. The head is blue, but there is a large reddish skin area around the eye, giving the appearance of a red face. The neck is brown and marked with vertical darker marks. The breast is blue-gray.

There are two subspecies. The nominate form, Columba guinea guinea, is found widely in eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Somalia south through Kenya into Tanzania. The subspecies phaeonota is found from southern Angola to Cape Province of South Africa.

The pigeon genus Columba is found pretty much world wide. Most species are from about 12 to 16 inches in length. There are about 54 species with a few additional recognized subspecies. This genus of pigeons contains most of the larger members of the pigeon and dove family.

Howard and Moore in 2003 counted 48 species of which two are extinct. They are the Bonin (Columba versicolor) and Ryukyu (Columba jouyi) woodpigeons.

The pigeon that is found in most cities of Europe and North America belongs here. This pigeon appears to have descended from the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia livia).

Many of the species in this genus have two or three dark wing bars on the pale dorsal wings. Generally, the tails are squared off, and the head and neck can be v variety of different colors. Columba leuconota has a black head.

With over three hundred species in the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae) found world wide, we have broken this family into two parts based on geographical origin with the Old World versus the New World as the criteria. This is the Old World portion.

Pigeon and Dove group (Family Columbidae) are a group of about 290 species of birds that are found worldwide.

Pigeons and Doves (Order Columbiformes) contains three families. The dodos (Family Raphidae) are extinct. The other families are the sandgrouse (Family Pteroclidae) and pigeons (Family Columbidae).

Clements in 2007 counted 308 pigeons and doves and Clements also counted 16 sandgrouse. (He, however, placed the sandgrouse in their separate order, Pterocliformes.)

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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