Ferals are not from ...

[Roland]

our racing pigeons eh!

This guy has done over 20 years research, and is interesting I guess. Good to keep if ever needed for the Manicipale offices eh. :-/

 

http://pages.unibas.ch/dbmw/medbiol/haag_6.html

 

[Guest Doostalker]

Roland

 

Just had a look at the site and don't know if I would agree with your conclusion.  :-/

 

The racing pigeon is descended from Columbia Livia in the same way as the feral pigeon, and whilst the antecedants of the feral may largely have been dove cote birds kept for food, the article states quite correctly that these have been augmented by racing pigeons.

 

That probably explains the colour variety you can get in ferals.

 

Good article though and well spotted by you.  

[jimmy white]

yes very interesting article ,, not sure i agree with eveything on it , but one thing for sure,,,,theve been around for a long long time

[Roland]

Never said - or meant I believed it myself. Just an interesting thesis.

[THE FIFER]

I think the feral pigeons history has changed over the years, i think now they are mostly down from the racing pigeon, just look how they did a few years ago and look at them now, more like racing birds now than they have ever been, this is caused by the many losses of racers going wild and joining the ferals and for years been breeding into them, before you just looked at a feral and new, now you look to see if its got a ring on,

[Roland]

Yes Fifer, as one may recal in one of my earlier posts regarding the 'Ferals' in Haworth when then ... absolutely first class condition, and nigh  -  from 10 feet - great looking.

[Guest IB]

A very long article crammed full of interesting things about all kinds of pigeons, not just ferals. Liked the bit about pigeons associated with love and peace. Alan Titchmarch in one of his TV programmes also said they were descended from Rock Doves.

 

But the article mentions the dovecot pigeons. I take it means the ones the estates used to rear for food. I wonder where these birds came from? And what happened to them after the country estates stopped the practice? And when would that have been, around 1900?   There must have been thousands of them at one time. Are they the true ancestors of todays ferals?  

 

 

[Roland]

Dovecot at Newton is a fasinating piece of work. It also derides, Darkness ans ricketts, water... can't get any till weaned and flying out, and above all 'Overcrowding'. Must have housed 1000's, did count them once....

[Guest IB]

Dovecot at Newton is a fasinating piece of work. It also derides, Darkness ans ricketts, water... can't get any till weaned and flying out, and above all 'Overcrowding'. Must have housed 1000's, did count them once....

 

I've seen a few of the old dovecots, some in ruins, two near me one a listed building, not open to pigeons or public, the other is in an ex-private estate gifted to public as a park. Seems to be a bit of history too as there is a much weathered plaque (family coat of arms?) with date above, the middle part badly weathered - room for 2 characters - one is gone completely the other partly gone: MDCC?\XXIV which could be dated from 1744 to 1834 depending on the missing character being 100 or 50?. 2 story building, square ground floor, octagonal upper floor, conical roof with a newish looking hatch built into it for entry / exit.

 

Surprised to see 3 white fantails have moved in / live there, can't think what'll happen come pairing-up time. Only 3-some I've heard of before in birds was quails?