Which regions contain the greatest diversity of pigeon and dove species?

The greatest diversity of pigeon and dove species is found in tropical Southeast Asia, Australia, and the islands of the western Pacific, which together account for two-thirds of the more than 300 known species.1

While the family Columbidae is virtually cosmopolitan and represented in Africa, South America, and temperate regions, the Australasian region is particularly notable for its high level of adaptive radiation. This includes a wide variety of specialized ground-living forms as well as fully arboreal, fruit-eating types such as the fruit pigeons.21