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Beautiful White Doves

   Our doves are known for their exceptional beauty and radiant, white plumage.   They are both elegant and graceful in flight, making them a perfect addition for your event.

  They are the product of many years of careful breeding and selection.  The doves in use today were derived from out crossing birds belonging to the Columbae family, resulting in an exceptional release dove.

 dove

doves in the garden 

        Is it a Dove or a Pigeon?  

 "Dove" and "Pigeon" are the same and interchangeable; they are terms describing members of the same family of birds. They often define each other; "Dove, the smaller species of pigeon; and Pigeon, the larger species of dove."  Another distinction between the two is the white cere across the top of the beak, which is more prominate on the pigeon.  

  A more fitting question would be: Is the bird pretty?  We will let you be the judge.  The dove pictured above is bird #P66.  He has participated in over 40 East valley weddings and routinely beats the dove handler home.  
  The two birds pictured in the upper right are a mated pair.   They are excellent breeders and are regular participants in West valley funerals, where they frequent Holy Cross, Resthaven, Sunland, and Greenwood Cemeteries. 

They return safely home

  In addition to their beauty, our doves have the ability to fly home after a release.  With proper training, a good release dove will return home every time.  The doves are not harmed in any way; rather, the exercise is good for them.  We love our birds and go to great lengths to keep them healthy and safe.   

At weddings, you want everything to be beautiful, so why not expect that from your doves?

  White homing pigeons are exceptional navigators, capable of flying distances in excess of 300 miles.  However, white homing pigeons tend to be quite robust and unattractive.  

 Our release doves are a hybrid, possessing traits found in several species.  Distant crosses between our doves and homing pigeons have   given our birds the ability to find home without sacrificing their beauty.  The making of the perfect ceremonial dove is a work in progress; each year we strive to make our birds more beautiful than before.  Soon we will post a genetics page, showing the genealogy of our birds for those who might have an interest.

We keep our birds safe

  With over 200 doves in rotation, our birds log hundreds of miles each year.  To ensure that they return home safely every time, we use only well-trained, healthy birds.

  The doves are never released during inclement weather.  Rained out events are rare in Phoenix and the surrounding area.  However, in the case of a rained out event, the customer always receives a full refund.  Rain is less of an issue in the Valley than is the summer heat.  In years past, the heat was so excessive that we had to ground the birds for several months.  It was bad for business, for we lost all of our funeral home accounts in the process, but it is the policy of the owner to put the welfare of the birds first.  

 cage

More Information about Doves and Pigeons

  The Disease Myth:
  There is a widespread misconception that feral pigeons are carriers of disease.  Pigeons are said to transmit several diseases; including toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, salmonellosis, meningitis, and encephalitis. (7)

  Pest control companies perpetuate this myth, but the truth is that pigeons pose little health risk to humans. Sixty years of epidemiological studies have found few cases of diseases transmitted from feral pigeons to humans. A researcher at Cornell University concluded, “Although feral pigeons pose sporadic health risks to humans, the risk is very low, even for humans involved in occupations that bring them into close contact with nesting sites.”(5) Histoplasmosis, psittacosis, and cryptococcosis are diseases that can be transmitted to humans from contact with bird feces, but even the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says that the risk is “small”; people who have compromised immune systems have the greatest risk. (6) 

References:

(1) Michael Brunton, “Feathered Trends,” Time International 8 Dec. 2003.
2) Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Cool Pigeon Facts,” PigeonWatch 2005.
3) “Pigeons Reveal Map-Reading Secret,” BBC News, 5 Feb. 2004.
4) Malcolm W. Browne, “How Do You Tell a Chair From a Cat? Scientists Say You Could Ask a Pigeon,” The New York Times 6 Dec. 1988.
5) D. Haag-Wackernagel and H. Mock, “Health Hazards Posed by Feral Pigeons,” Journal of Infection 48 (2004): 307-13.
6) The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “Facts About Pigeon-Related Diseases,” The City of New York 2005.
(7)  Peta Media Center. "Pigeon Facts." Online posting. 20 May 2002. Opera-L. 21 May 2002 <http://www.peta.org/MC/fact sheet lists.html

  

 Pigeons and doves mate for life, and both parents care for their young.  They are symbolic of fidelity and love, making them an ideal addition to wedding ceremonies.  In fact, the release of doves, or the sacrifice of, has been part of wedding tradition since the Iron Age.  The dove history page has more information about the historical record of the dove. 

  Pigeons tend to flock in large numbers in order to protect themselves against predators.   A hawk or falcon has little chance of sneaking up on a large group of birds, but they are often successful against single birds. (7) 

 Wild populations of pigeons with naturally stabilize in accordance with food supply and predator ratios. (7)

  Pigeons can fly up to 50 miles per hour, and the larger breeds can travel up to 400 miles in a single day.  (2)

  Pigeons and doves have excellent hearing and vision.  Their eyes can discriminate between colors and have can zoom in and out of focus, much like a telephoto camera lens.

  There has been much research about the Pigeons' renowned navigational abilities.  They use a combination of elements to aid in navigation. Such as: the Earth's magnetic field, the position of the Sun, and topographic recognition; where their keen eyesight and superlative memory of topographic details is legendary. (7) 

  Oxford University conducted a 10-year study of pigeon flight patterns and found that the birds rely more on their knowledge of human transport routes than on their internal magnetic compasses; one scientist said, “We followed some which flew up the Oxford bypass and even turned off at particular junctions. It’s very human-like.”(3) Paul Breyman, professor of animal behavior and psychology, remarked; “Pigeons commit new images to memory at lightning speed. They organize images of things into the same logical categories that human beings use when we conceptualize.” (4)

For more information and booking, please call us at:   623-907-4035