Pigeons and doves are fed 'crop milk' regurgitated by their parents for the first few days.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only in captivity
• D. Pigeons and doves are fed crop milk regurgitated by their parents for the first few days

Answer: (D)

Pigeons and doves rely on crop milk for the earliest feeding of their chicks. This substance is produced by the lining of the crop and is regurgitated by the parents to feed the nestlings for the first several days after hatching. It provides dense, easily digestible nutrients—especially fats and proteins—that support rapid growth when the birds are too small to consume solid foods. Both parents participate in delivering crop milk, and this behavior occurs in the wild as part of normal parental care, not just in captivity. After the initial days, the young begin to eat solid foods and crop milk feeding stops.