Fruit doves inspire us by their colorfulness and their calm and mostly peaceful nature. As aviary birds, they are long-lived and eager to reproduce, provided that their basic husbandry requirements are met. The populations of these wonderful birds, which are often not recognized as pigeons by laymen because of their exotic colorful plumage, are threatened everywhere in their tropical countries of origin. Habitat destruction directly affects the rainforest habitats of the fruit doves. In captivity, with dedicated private keepers and in zoological gardens, there are considerable populations of various fruit pigeon species. It is important to preserve these populations as important genetic reserves and to develop them responsibly!