Doves range from 6 to about 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) in length; pigeons, from about 12 to 33 inches (30 to 84 cm). Most doves have pointed tails; most pigeons have round or square tails. Many members of the family have red or pink feet. The bill is slender and rounded, and is usually short, with a fleshy growth at the base. The plumage is thick with metallic glints, and varies in appearance from the uniform browns and grays of many temperate-zone species to the bright hues and bold patterns of tropical forms. In most species the male and female look alike.

Pigeons are swift, strong, graceful fliers. On the ground they walk or run with the toes turned slightly inward. The call is a monotonous repetition of cooing, chuckling, or booming notes; a few species make hissing or whistling sounds. Pigeons eat grain, fruits, berries, and herbage. They are able to suck up water without tilting back the head—a peculiarity shared only by a close relative, the sand grouse.

The flimsy nest of twigs or grass is built in trees, on ledges, or on the ground. Most species lay two white eggs, which are incubated by the male during the day and by female at night. Newly hatched birds blind and helpless. At first they are fed pigeon's milk, a secretion from the parents' crops that chemically resembles mammals' milk. After a few days the young are fed a mixture of milk and half-digested grain by regurgitation. They are fully feathered and able to leave the nest in three to five weeks' time.

Pigeons are famous for the homing instinct—the ability to find their way back to the roost from distances of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or more. Actually, many birds possess this little-understood ability.