Pigeons, doves & the gentle aviary.
Not every bird person wants a parrot. This is the quiet wing of bird keeping: pigeons that cuddle (really), doves that coo instead of scream, quail bustling along the aviary floor, and the peaceful finch crowd. Here are 15 profiles - including honest notes on which are hands-on pets and which are admire-only. Parrots and the rest live in the main bird library.
🕊️ Pet & loft pigeons From cuddly Kings to sky-tumbling Rollers - the most underrated pet birds going.
🤍 Doves Soft-cooing gentleness - the quietest companion birds there are.
🐣 Quail as pets Ground-level charm - aviary floor crews and gentle backyard coveys.
🎨 Peaceful aviary companions Finches and the gentlest parakeet - the community-aviary cast.
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Rescue tip: the wedding-dove secret
Those "white doves" released at weddings are domestic King pigeons - they can't survive wild, and rescues are full of them. If a calm, affectionate, quiet pet bird appeals, adopting one is the best-kept secret in bird keeping. See our adoption page for where to look.