How to identify a true Rock Dove? (2 Viewers)

[Articuno]

Hi everyone, I was right up on the tip of the Isle of Skye yesterday overlooking the sea when something landed on one of the cliff edges, it was either a feral pigeon in Rock Dove colours, or a true Rock Dove.. but how am I supposed to tell which it is..?
I got a photo of it by zooming in with the camera first and then holding it up to the binoculars, 15x zoom in total! Problem is I'm at an internet cafe and can't upload the photo for a bit, but if anyone knows any obvious thing I could look for on the photo then please let me know, I understand it's a slim chance but worth a try I guess!

 

[Hotspur]

I dont think its as clear cut as that - there will be feral pigeons in your town centre which have the exact markings of a wild Rock Dove but they are descended from domestic stock. Your in with a good shout of it being pretty pure on Skye - pretty much all the birds on Islay seem to be 'pure' away from habitation. I think so long as the bird shows the classic plumage and 'seems' wild i.e. not hanging around people or farm buildings you can call it a Rock Dove.

 

[James Thomas]

Birdguides photos don't differentiate, most feral pigeons show the same basic pattern but vary in shade/clour. These were taken in a city in Macedonia where there were hundreds and all but a few birds were identical, don't know what that means!

 

[YourBirdOasis]

I believe that they should look exactly alike. I don't think there is any difference between the two, but I'm basing this off of my knowledge of birds in the U.S. Is North America the only ones who have changed the name back from Rock Dove to Rock Pigeon? Do you continue to use Rock Dove?

 

[Atricapilla]

Here's one of about 26 that live on a cliff face on my patch

 

[Wildmoreway]

Around Torquay in Devon there are a small colonies of Feral Pigeons that have reverted back to the original lifestyle, the cliffs at Corbyn Head being one example, oddly few of these birds have typical rock dove coloured plumage, they seem more to be white or beige with light brown markings, feral birds with more typical "rove dove" coloured plumage are to be seen in the town centre but I don't see much evidence of these birds mixing with the populations living on the cliffs.

 

[rosbifs]

I believe that they should look exactly alike. I don't think there is any difference between the two, but I'm basing this off of my knowledge of birds in the U.S. Is North America the only ones who have changed the name back from Rock Dove to Rock Pigeon? Do you continue to use Rock Dove?

The question is not the name but the reference to domestic turned wild - feral - or Rock - pure wild.

As for differentiating that is becoming harder. More geographic I guess than plumage. As for SKye - you will have to speak to a SKyite to determine whether their population is pure wild or domestic wild.

 

[jackied]

Rock Dove has a distinctly white rump, which as far as I know Ferrel Pigeon doesn't show.

 

[rosbifs]

It does....

 

[StarainBoy]

...mainly...

 

[the-norseman]

It's not going to be possible to tell a 'wild' rock dove from a feral pigeon in 'original' markings as they are really one and the same. There's no particular genetic difference so far as I know. Of course lots of ferals look very different and that's easy then but as feral's are actually rock doves then surely its the habits, habitat, 'life-style' so to speak that makes a Rock Dove a wild rock dove. I'd be content to say wild Rock Dove for the peninsulas of Skye

 

[davercox]

I was brought up (50 years ago) to believe all populations in Britain were likely to contain 'domestic' ancestry, except just possibly some in the Outer Hebrides. This years on Colonsay the local RSPB people were telling visitors 'their' birds were 'genuine' Rock Doves. Not sure how they thought they knew.

Plenty of birds on the Pembrokeshire cliffs last week, behaving like Rock Doves and all showing the wild type plumage; but I can't imagine they're 100% wild. Me, I don't believe it at all ... but how can anyone know now ?