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applies to the cere around the bill. The cock is mainly blue-gray in color, but Three Everyday Pigeons darker on the head and body than on the wings; there are two conspicuous black bands on the wings and the in Aviculture lower back, and underwings are white. There is a black stripe at the by Matthew M. Vriends, Ph. D. end of the tail and the outer tail Loveland, Ohio feathers are partially edged in white. There is a green and purple sheen to the neck and upper breast feathers. The three genera, Columba, Turtur­ Characteristics: There cannot be The iris may be orange, red-orange, or oena, and Nesoenas, the members of many people who would not recog­ gold-orange. The orbital ring is bluish­ which are all adept fliers, are usually nize this most typical of all pigeons. gray, similar in color to the adjacent placed together because they have The size 03.75 in - 35 cm), and often feathers. The beak is blackish, the many characteristics in common. the colors are similar to the feral cere white and the legs and feet red to Members of these genera are all of pigeons we see in our parks, gardens purplish red. The hen is difficult to similar size to the Rock Dove, and on our roads and in the public distinguish from the cock but her gray Columba livia, or the Wood Pigeon, squares of London, Amsterdam, New color may be duller and the sheen on C. palumbus. The main colors are York, Rome, Cincinnati and other the neck and breast not so outstand­ gray (typically dove-gray) and brown. great cities. We all know how tame ing. Juveniles are also duller in color The neck usually shows a characteris­ and trusting these pigeons can be; the but young cocks soon show the sheen tic sheen and pattern that plays an city dwelling birds will come boldly to in the neck. important role in courtship. peck up scraps from around your feet There are several geographical vari­ Most of the species inhabit wooded and, if you feed them, will land on ations and the above description areas and, with the exception of the your head or shoulders in order to applies to the nominate form Rock Dove, are thus not often seen in take food directly from your hand! Columba livia livia. These occur on rocky or coastal cliff areas, although They nest on window sills and other the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands on the Orkney Islands they have to ledges on buildings, bridges and via­ and the Hebrides, Scotland, Ireland nest on the ground as there is ducts. The wild and feral forms will and the Iberian Peninsula, northwest nowhere else to do so. Foraging for breed together but the Fi hybrids are Africa, and the northern coastal strip food takes place mainly on the sterile. of the Mediterranean. The subspecies ground; though some species also for­ The wild form is more compact than of Asia Minor to northern India are age among the foliage of trees and the feral type and, looking at it from velY similar to the nominate form and, shrubs. above, is broader across the shoul­ in my opinion, need not be separated Members of the genus Columba are ders, making the body almost heart­ from them. Those occurring in Arabia to be found in most suitable areas of shaped; the tail is wider and often and in north Africa to the southern the world but in this respect it is sholter. The bill is narrower; the same edge of the Sahara (excepting Egypt) important to note that biochemical Mud~sha~as~rtainediliatilieanti-~------------------------------~ gens (the substances in the blood which help form antibodies to fight invasions of disease causing organ­ Books! ...Books! ...Books! isms) in the blood of doves from the We have a ''world class" assortment New World are totally different to of essential books for birdkeepers...JDP is your those of the doves of the Old World. number one source 14' In my view, the relationship of these for books on... Op Flyte Whe two groups is thus questionable, in Parrots· Canaries ~rerniurn_l0 0 at Grass spite of the general outward similarit­ Budgies· Pigeons Sse~tial forO~~a~ural ies of the species. Behavioral studies Poultry. Game Foul r Breeders Birds oP by the ornithologist D. Goodwin have Falconry· Cage and ;:h Fiyte all natur I . eat Gra ,a shown that doves of the New World Aviary Birds ;s the nearest th SS POWder also have characteristics in common Vet Medicine oOdda.lfor Your bir~nglt~O a perfect I y Vlt .. S th . with the American ground doves Call or write for Ornithology and SUPPlementamRlnlmineral f: Ideal (Columbina, Ciaravis, Metriopilia, our FREE 40-page M I Inten . eSUlting' Od Scardafella, andUropelia); a fact with catalog ore. plu se cOloratio In bnlliant which I agree. ft Rock Dove orRock Pigeon :::~i;~1~~i§~~:' Columba livia litl.alllmi Only $ 95 AKER SIZE 14 (Five to 10 Subspecies) P.O. Box 293854, Lewisville, . (75 Urn) (Other names: Domestic Pigeon, Blue Texas 75029-3854 Rock, and Wild Pigeon) Phone/FAX 817 -455-2233 afa WATCHBIRD 13 are all smaller in build and there is no discord in the group. breeding season usually starts in the white on the mmp. In the middle east Should it be necessary for the cock months of April or May, and there are and northern India, both types (white to become aggressive (for example usually two to three broods per and gray rump) occur and seem to when rivals arrive in his territory) he annum. The hen lays two white eggs breed freely together. This has natu­ may carry out a similar dance, but (39.3 x 29.1 mm); the incubation time rally caused some taxonomical confu­ with little or no head nodding or tail is 17 to 18 days and the young leave sion but the following subspecies spreading; instead, the head is carried the nest at about four weeks ofage. have been described: C/. intermedia, close to the ground. During this The voice of the rock dove is not, or C/. schimperi, C/. dak/ae, and C/. behavior he calls (coos) loudly and, in as good as not, distinguishable from gymnocyclus. The intermedia occurs time, the dance can develop into a that of the tame or feral forms: "ou­ in India and Sri Lanka and is darker in courtship ceremony as described rou-cou". This call is uttered at the color; schimperi is smaller and paler in above. Frequently a fight can develop nest, and during the courtship dance it color and occurs in the Nile Delta; and the intruder is normally driven off. is uttered quickly many times in suc­ even paler in tone is daklae which The dance may also be carried out cession. Birds in danger frequently lives west of the Nile at the Dakla and by the cock when he visits an old emit the sound "ea" as in sea. Khargo oases. The darkest form is nesting spot, even when there is The rock dove is mainly a seedeater gymnocyclus, which is native to west nobody "at home", also when he (grass and grain), but also many other Africa; this race has a white rump and comes to inspect any nest with eggs or items are taken such as small insects also a conspicuous red orbital ring. young. But these cases are the excep­ and slugs, and all sorts of berries. The Natural Range and Behavior: I tion rather than the rule. bird struts around on the ground, have summarized the range of the A third kind of display is the defen­ always on the lookout for something rock dove above, but a more detailed sive behavior in which the head is car­ to eat. In wooded areas, the birds will range is as follows: Faroe and Shet­ ried low and loud calls are uttered often sleep on a branch but do not land Islands, Orkney Islands, (thus: "ou-rou-cou-cou" the "ou" as in seek food among foliage; fruits and Hebrides, Ireland, Scotland; all coun­ "you"). The dove usually looks at its berries are pecked off the ground. The tries around the Mediterranean Sea; rival straight in the face, but may also birds forage in pairs or in small eastern Europe, western Asia, Arabia, present the side of his body. This can groups, usually keeping close India, Sri Lanka, Transcaspia, Turkes­ be regarded as a sort of preparation together, also in flight, so that birds of tan, Africa north of the equator (after for an attack and can happen even prey have difficulty in selecting a vic­ Goodwin). It is quite possible that this outside the breeding season. Defen­ tim. species occurs in parts of Mongolia sive display is rarely seen among and northern China, but these birds hens, and then only when they are The Feral Rock Dove could well be feral specimens of the incubating. They leave the nest and Feral rock doves or pigeons have type which occur in our towns and break into the defensive ritual, but sel­ arisen as a result of domestic pigeons cities. dom making complete circles as per­ becoming lost, from escapes, or from This species lives in sparsely vege­ formed by the cocks. deliberate releases. The domestic tated, rocky areas of the coast and Intensive billing of couples often pigeon varieties themselves originated inland, where it must forage for food occurs before actual pairing. After from wild rock doves, and feral on the ground. They breed usually in copulation has taken place both birds pigeons are really a reverse of domes­ colonies, in caves and crevices in cliff frequently run away from each other tication.

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