It is basal to the Columba-Streptopelia radiation with their ancestors diverging from that lineage likely over 8 million years ago.

While the biogeographic pattern of this group suggests that the ancestors of typical pigeons and turtle-doves settled the Old World from the Americas, Patagioenas may also be the offspring of Old World pigeons that radiated into different genera later, given that the cuckoo-doves (Macropygia) of Southeast Asia also seem to be closely related.

[3] There are 17 species of Patagioenas, which can be assigned to four groups based on mtDNA cytochrome b, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2, as well as the nuclear β-fibrinogen intron 7 data combined with analyses of vocalizations and morphology.

They could be considered subgenera, but one remains unnamed so they are only informally listed here:[4] caribaea/band-tailed group (Chloroenas): Characterized by tails with terminal bands and iridescent neck; rows of low single coos.

[1] leucocephala group (Patagioenas sensu stricto): Characterized by iridescent neck and dark plumage, or white edged outer wing coverts, or scaly appearance; groups of triple coos with the first call in each drawn out except in speciosa cayennensis group: No display plumage except iridescent head in cayennensis; groups of double or triple coos with the first call in each short plumbea group (Oenoenas): Small size, plain plumage, rounded tails, small bills, phrase composed of high single coos A fossil species (Curtis pigeon) initially placed in Chloroenas, Patagioenas micula (Early Pliocene of Curtis Ranch, USA) is known.