English: DID YOU KNOW!!!

Feral Pigeon - Columba Livia

The Feral Pigeon is an extremely common ancestor of the now rare Rock Dove. Most, if not all of our Feral Pigeons have adapted to ‘wild’ life from escaped racing pigeons, domestic pigeons - birds that have escaped from bird houses etc.

Previously they were called Rock Dove until the British Ornithologists' Union and the American Ornithologists' Union changed its current official English name. Feral birds are common in urban parks and neighborhoods, around farms, under highway or railroad bridges. They are often seen in larger flocks and crowd streets and public squares walking on the ground and pecking for food (usually discarded food items or birdseed offered by humans). They often gather in flocks. When spooked, the flock may suddenly fly into the air and circle several times before coming down again.

Identification:

Adult

The Feral Pigeon is similar in size to the Collared Dove - around 32 cm.Colouration however, is extremely variable.

Sexes are alike, as are young birds.

There is not one identifiable feature that is shown by all feral pigeons, they come in a huge array of colours and plumages.

Many look like original Rock Doves, dark grey (similar to Wood Pigeon) with two dark wing bars, glossy patches on the neck. Whilst others are solid grey, white and brown, chequered, black and white. The combination is endless.

The Feral Pigeon is The City/Town Pigeon. Most plumages will show some sort of double wing bar.

Juvenile Juveniles appear from March onwards; adults will breed whenever there is warmth in the weather and will often have up to 5 broods in a year.

They will nest on ledges and cavities in the city centres where temperatures are a little higher than the surrounding areas.