Is a pigeon a type of dove?

Yes, a pigeon is a type of dove, biologically speaking they belong to the same family, and the terms pigeon and dove are used interchangeably in ornithology though there are common usage differences. Both pigeons and doves belong to the family Columbidae, which contains over 300 species of pigeons and doves worldwide, ranging from small dove species to large pigeon species. Scientifically, there is no strict distinction between pigeons and doves, the difference is largely linguistic and cultural, with larger species typically called pigeons and smaller species called doves, but this is not consistent. For example, the Rock Pigeon, which is the common city pigeon, and the Mourning Dove belong to the same family and share many traits like producing crop milk to feed chicks, forming monogamous pair bonds, and having similar body structures. In many languages, there is only one word for both. In English, dove is often used for smaller, more delicate species and symbolically for peace, while pigeon is used for larger, stockier species common in cities, but they are the same family. So yes, a pigeon is a type of dove in biological classification, both are Columbidae, and the terms overlap, with pigeon and dove being common names rather than distinct scientific categories.