If Upton listers want to include Feral Pigeon then lets put it to a vote. But presumably this isn't a 'species' that anyone is going to struggle to see on the reserve so nobody will gain or lose either way. None of the local patch lists for other sites in the county, or the county life lists include Feral Pigeon, so it's just for the sake of consistency really. Anyway, over to you guys to decide...QUOTE]
I guess this is an argument that will never be resolved! I see that the BOU list categorises it as a C4 species - domesticated species that have established a wild feral population.
Personally I don't count it, but I can see that there is an argument for doing so in that it is a self-sustaining population. However it is slightly different to the populations of, for instance, Mandarin and Little Owl in that it is a feral population of a species already on the UK list, i.e. Rock Dove.
Whether there are any genuine wild ones at Upton is another point entirely. I know there are at least three flocks from pigeon lofts in the vicinity, just not sure about the odd one that arrives on its own. But there again, as I'm not counting it (other than on the all-dayers) it doesn't really matter.
I guess it would be more palatable to tick it, at least from a personal point of view, if they all actually looked like Rock Doves! Instead we have the motley collection of colours that result from years of tinkering by those that keep and breed pigeons.
Cheers
Mike