Pigeons have different varieties and features, including fancy, Fantail, and feral. Similarly, seagulls’ varieties are the largest black-backed, pacific gull, and ring-billed gull.
Are Pigeons and Seagulls Related? Pigeons and seagulls are not related to one another due to different orders and families. They also differ in weight, wingspan, nature, physical appearance, mating behavior, diet, and lifespan. Moreover, seagulls eat them and make predator-prey relationships with one another.
They are attractive birds and are present abundantly in nature. Some people consider them related because of the similar appearance of their babies. But the fact is they do not mate with one another and are not related in any capacity.
Why are pigeons and seagulls not related?
They do not belong to one another due to a lot of differences. However, I have described some of their differences for your knowledge.
Belong to different families
They are common birds having different qualities. Though they share the same ancestors in class Aves, their order differs.
They are not related due to differences in their families and species. For example, pigeons belong to the Columbidae family, whereas seagulls belong to the Laridae family.
They prefer to live near the bay, ocean coastline, and beaches, whereas you can see the others present anywhere around the food.
Body weight
They have a variety of species that vary in their weight and size. For example, the average size of a normal pigeon is 250 to 350 grams, whereas others have an average weight of 350 to 450 grams.
Ground doves have the lowest weight of all kinds, and their body weight is around 20 to 25 grams. The heaviest pigeon in the world is the Crown bird, weighing about 4.4 pounds to 6 pounds.
It can even reach 4kg in some areas, approximately equal to a turkey’s weight, which is present abundantly in North America. Black-backed gulls have about (3.7 pounds to 4 pounds) 1.7 to 1.8kg body weight, the highest of all kinds of gulls.
The smallest gull is the little gull, whose weight ranges between 115 to 125g.
Varying wingspan
They also vary in their wingspan and a key identity to distinguish both of them. The wingspan is the distance from one wing’s tip to another and differs from specie to specie.
Its size depends mainly upon a bird’s body size, which is different in every bird. For example, the average wingspan of seagulls is 1 to 1.3 m, whereas others have 70 to 75cm of this distance.
The black-backed gull’s largest seagull has 1.4 to 1.8m, and the smallest one, called the little gull, has 60 to 80cm of this wingspan. Normal-size pigeons have an average wingspan of around 18 to 28 inches which helps them to fly swiftly.
Physical appearance
Seagulls are beautiful creatures with long and thin legs, which help them run faster. In addition, they have yellow hook-shaped beaks having different patterns on its end.
They have fused fingers in their feet which make them webbed. They are primarily present in grey and white color but also found in white color.
Pigeons contain different straight patterns of dark and grey color on their body. They have normal pinkish-red feet instead of webbed feet.
Eligibility to be kept as a pet
Pigeons are loving birds that create a friendly environment with humans. People like to domesticate them as pets because they are easygoing, loyal, and intelligent.
Living peacefully, even with other animals, is a quality that makes them good pets. On the other hand, you do not have the authority to keep seagulls in your house because they are protected birds.
It is illegal to make them pets under the 1918 act of the Migratory bird treaty. You need special permission from the concerned department if you want to domesticate them.
Lifespan
Their lifespan varies according to different breeds and species. Normal pigeons can live for an average of 5 to 7 years in the wild, which can be more in the case of pets.
They can live for more than 10 years if you raise them in your house and provide them with an abundance of food. The lifespan of a feral breed can reach about 14 to 16 years in favorable conditions.
Seagulls can live longer than others and can live for about 15 to 20 years. Silver gulls can live up to 30 years of age.
Different behavior
Pigeons are gentle and peaceful birds because they do not create much mess in the environment. They remain calm and do not make noise even when with their group.
On the other hand, seagulls are a bit aggressive birds and do not create a friendly environment. They make noise and also make the environment messy, which is not easy to tolerate.
Diet
Pigeons can eat almost every kind of food a human eats; people love to feed them because of their gentle nature. Moreover, they drink fresh water, whereas others mostly drink salty sea water in their diet.
Seagulls prefer to eat marine food but can also eat insects, smaller animals, and earthworms.
What is the difference between a pigeon and a seagull?
Features | Pigeon | Seagull |
Order | Columbiformes | Charadriiformes |
Family | Columbidae | Laridae |
Body weight | 250-350 gram | 350-450 gram |
Appearance | light and dark grey color with short legs | White/Black/Grey color with long legs |
Behavior | Quiet and peaceful | Noisy and aggressive |
Wingspan | 70-75cm | 1-1.3m |
Eligibility to be kept | Legal | Illegal |
Diet | eat everything
Drink freshwater |
Prefer to eat marine food
Drink salty water |
Lifespan | 5-7 years | 15-20 years |
Can a pigeon and a seagull mate?
They are different and not related to each other and have distinct mating behaviors. That’s why they cannot mate with each other.
People mistakenly consider the fancy pigeon a product of the seagull pigeon hybrid because of their similar appearance. They look like baby seagulls at an early age, but they are not the offspring of these two birds.
Do seagulls attack pigeons?
Seagulls are a kind of wild bird and can attack smaller animals like rats and fish to snatch food. Sometimes they become aggressive when they do not get enough food from the people to feed themselves.
Seagulls make predator-prey relationships with them and eat them when they do not find other food sources. Pigeons have a poor defensive mechanism to protect them, so they become an easy target for these gulls.
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