Pigeons are gentle, plump, small-billed birds with a skin saddle (cere) between the bill and forehead. They have long wings, powerful flight muscles, and are strong, swift fliers. They are monogamous and suck liquids rather than sip and swallow like other birds. The subfamily Columbinae—which is made up of the typical, or true, pigeons—is the largest group, made up of often gregarious seed and fruit-eaters. Some members of the Columbinae are ground feeders, others feed partly or wholly in trees. They are generally colored soft gray and brown to black, sometimes with iridescent patches on the plumage.
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