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Feral Pigeon - To Tick Or Not To Tick? (1 Viewer)

RegTelescope

RegTelescope

Who was breaking away from the pack.
I wondered how many birders out there tick Feral Pigeons. I have been in the habit of treating them as Rock Doves, though I have never actually seen the pure form.

I have had a crisis of conscience over this in the last few weeks and have now struck Rock Dove from my life list, but the question is should I tick Feral Pigeon? I'm thinking probably not, but thought it would be interesting to see what everyone else makes of this view?

All thoughts welcome.
 
I suppose if they are indeed still regarded as the same Sp as Rock Dove, then on the basis that they have a self sustaining population like Golden Pheasant etc, they should be tick-able. I know many birders who don't count them until they see a pure Rock Dove, which is what I did, but they should still be countable for the above reason.
 
I think they should be countable as they are clearly self-supporting. We can't be ticking Golden Pheasants et al and ignoring these. I've just nearly tripped over ten this lunchtime (Rock Dove that is not GP).

However.......you've got to make the pilgrimage to see the genuine article.

Interestingly, a wary bird from my experiences of trying to photograph them on the Outer Heb's.
 
Yes, agreed, you can have a tick for Columba livia, whether wild or feral, but not both. Which kind of renders the trek to see wild ones a bit superfluous, but I'd still recommend giving them a look if you're up that way. I've been to the Hebrides once and seen presumed wild Rock Doves, but they were pretty distant and certainly not photographable. Does anyone have a decent site for good views of wild Rock Doves???
 
If I'm year listing I'll not include Columba livia in the total till I've seen a proper "ancestral" individual in traditional habitat and range, nor do I count it on any month list till I've seen such a bird. I don't even count it on my garden list, even though I'm never likely to get a proper one there! Of course, I realise I'm being precious about it; I guess I'm just prejudiced against them!

James
 
If anyone out there needs to get a good look or photos of genuine Rock Doves, please come to my back garden, where on average I have a resident flock of between 10 to 16 individuals. The wee buggers are costing me a fortune in seed.
 
BOU eventually noticed the presence in UK of about a million feral pigeons so you can tick your Cat C Plastic or hang out for a Cat A Rock. What you CAN'T do is have both. One tick only!

John
 
What I find interesting is the lack of consistancy by some birders.

Introduced Red Kites and White-tailed Eagles are all happily ticked, even in populations which are not yet established, and I know people who have quite happily ticked the Dunsop Bridge Eagle Owls, which even the most ardent owl fanatic would admit are on the balance of probability most likely escapes, and are certainly not self sustaining yet.

Yet many of the same people would not consider ticking Feral Pigeons which clearly are self sustaining and are one of the commonest birds in Britain, and clearly more deserving of a tick than (especially) the Eagle Owls.

Interesting......
 
JWN Andrewes said:
If I'm year listing I'll not include Columba livia in the total till I've seen a proper "ancestral" individual in traditional habitat and range, nor do I count it on any month list till I've seen such a bird. I don't even count it on my garden list, even though I'm never likely to get a proper one there! Of course, I realise I'm being precious about it; I guess I'm just prejudiced against them!

James
Click to expand...

James,
I'm with you on this - I haven't included them on my garden list - even though they are very scarce!
I saw the real ones before I ever stated counting ticks.
What about stray racing pigeons? Do they count...or maybe only if they survive wild for, what? a few days, weeks?
I'd rather that all the "plastic" stuff was removed from the lists - but where to stop....
H
 
I count feral pigeons when I'm surveying for the Breeding Birds Survey run by the BTO, but at any other time I tend to ignore them.
 
JWN Andrewes said:
If I'm year listing I'll not include Columba livia in the total till I've seen a proper "ancestral" individual in traditional habitat and range, nor do I count it on any month list till I've seen such a bird. I don't even count it on my garden list, even though I'm never likely to get a proper one there! Of course, I realise I'm being precious about it; I guess I'm just prejudiced against them!

James
Click to expand...

The trouble with lone birds in your garden, even unringed ones, is you don't know if they are an escape, or lost racing pigeon.
 
I go for the theory that I want to see as wild an example of a species as possible so I have counted golden pheasant on my British list - as it is only available as a C -however it is not on my world list (or wouldn't be if I still could be bothered to keep one). The same for Manadarin etc. unless I have seen them somewhere in the world where they are not introduced. Under the same logic I would not count rock dove, red kite, white-tailed eagle etc. on my UK list if I had not seen wild ones. Eagle owl is not on the British list yet, although I guess it could join C before too long.

Of course what anyone else does is entirely up to them.

Steve

http://www.freewebs.com/stevebabbs/index.htm
 
RegTelescope said:
I wondered how many birders out there tick Feral Pigeons. I have been in the habit of treating them as Rock Doves, though I have never actually seen the pure form.

I have had a crisis of conscience over this in the last few weeks and have now struck Rock Dove from my life list, but the question is should I tick Feral Pigeon? I'm thinking probably not, but thought it would be interesting to see what everyone else makes of this view?

All thoughts welcome.
Click to expand...

If you want to tick it, tick it... It's your list compiled for your own satisfaction so who really cares what anyone else does. The choice is a personal one, the main thing is that you are out birding B :)

Later

Russ
 
Get it ticked, it's self sustaining and should for it's abilty to adapt and thrive around man which relatively few species are able to.
If it makes you feel better, go into town on Sunday night with your spotting gear count a few, spot the purer looking ones, then tick it.
Then when you go to Scotland for there specialities , tick it again, it will make your list bigger and impress many other birders. Just don't tell anyone.
 
Excellent set of comments. To set the record straight, I certainly would not tick Feral Pigeon & Rock Dove.

The point that each and every one of us has our own list and can tick what we want is always a good one. It is after all a very personal thing.

I've found over time [and it's taken me a year or two to realise it] that trying to string a bird [not that I've ever really done that], or even ticking it when you're not 100% sure [okay, done that!] means you miss out in the long run as it detracts from the magic of seeing something properly for the first time. That's why I go under the motto 'Thou shall not string ..'.

I think maybe I have taken the right approach with Feral Pigeons. After all, in its pure form or in the high street it's still Columba Livia, but I will still be happy when I get a pure one in known breeding habitat on the coast etc.

Thanks for everyone's input and happy birding! :t:
 
I had the same choice to make a while back and wrote to the BTO, their reply was that the pure Rock Dove is Cat A , that the Feral or Town Pigeon was Cat C, and that any escapee Racing Pigeons were Cat E.

If you want to be consistant & you count other Catagory C birds then you should count the Feral Pigeon too, but its not a second tick for your list. As others mention your list is personal & you can count whatever you want.
 
I have seen, a couple of years ago, what appeared to be Rock Doves with reasonable credentials to be the real wild thing in the area around Durness in the north west of Scotland. If these are the real thing, then it would save a ferry/aircraft journey to the islands. However, these birds may not be and I am open to opinions as to their ancestry. Oh, as others have said, tick what you want, it's your list.
 
Just a wee pic for anyone who thinks "genuine" Rock Doves are always shy and hard to photograph! I even cut off the small perches on the feeder to put them off, and the wee buggers still manage. Have even seen them do a sort of hovering to get the seed.

And yes these are truly wild and pure Rock Doves.
 

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Colin said:
I have seen, a couple of years ago, what appeared to be Rock Doves with reasonable credentials to be the real wild thing in the area around Durness in the north west of Scotland.
Click to expand...
Birdguides says: “Truly pure, wild Rock Doves probably only occur on coastal cliffs in west and north Scotland, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.”
Well you can't really go much further northwest than Durness, can you? I have seen them there as well.
And here someone calls them the genuine article: http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/...ode=search&sp=065001&rty=0&r=1&off=116862&v=0
 
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