WILD ROCK DOVE PICS

[belmont]

Here's a couple of pics I took of wild Rock Doves on Menorca. There were about 60 birds living in 2 small caves in the cliffs. They look faster and definately more agile than our domestic birds, not sure they'd have the stamina for racing though.

 

I spent an hour hiding in the cave waiting for them to come back and this young bird (a cock I think) is the only one that returned while I was there......much longer winged with the flights reaching the tip of the tail, unlike most racers.

 

 

 

 

[ally mac]

Looks like the collared doves we get round here but a blue bar.

[DOVEScot]

Are they not meant to be the original descendants of all domestic pigeons :-/

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Are they not meant to be the original descendants of all domestic pigeons :-/

 

yes

[harky]

 

yes

is there any to be found in the british isles :-/

[sammy]

is there any to be found in the british isles :-/

 

yes

[DOVEScot]

 

yes

 

I wonder how they would fair in the show or race sections, Belmont you should have got some eggs ;D

[DOVEScot]

 

yes

 

Where about Sammy

[Guest]

 

Where about Sammy

in my race loft.                                andy.

 

[harky]

in my race loft.                                andy.

 

Send some up here then  ;D

[sammy]

 

Send some up here then  ;D

 

yir da will eat them ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Guest]

 

Send some up here then  ;D

youre welcome to em Stewy ...................... there always stopping off at the caves on the way hame on race day.    andy.

 

[billt]

is there any to be found in the british isles :-/

 

They're still on the British bird list, they live on rocky coasts, they must be fitter than percy to survive there  ;D

[jimmy white]

great pics, belmont ;D  these certainly look like the real rock doves  ;D, which , amazingly , through selective breeding , have produced many of our breeds of pigeons, especially the racers,,  quite amazing to see the length of their flights and size of their wingspan   

[harky]

 

yir da will eat them ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

You read my mind ;D ;D ;D

[DOVEScot]

How many generations do you would think it would take to produce a race pigeon :-/

[Guest Owen]

pigeons are said to be genetically plastic along with dogs and some other species of creature. It means that they are fairly easy to change through selective breeding. It is one of Charles Darwin's ideas as far as I know.

[belmont]

 

I wonder how they would fair in the show or race sections, Belmont you should have got some eggs ;D

 

I had a look but they had all hatched and fledged  8)

 

They're protected anyways.......

[belmont]

is there any to be found in the british isles :-/

 

The only other place I've seen them is near Applecross, Loch Carron way on the NW coast of Scotland.

[jimmy white]

How many generations do you would think it would take to produce a race pigeon :-/

 

not sure but would be very interested to find out ,, as far as i remember ,in  the book , "creation of a strain", our racing pigeon as  they are  today,, were originally bred from 4 different strains from belgium  back in the late 1800,s  , the "leiege" pigeon , the "antwerp" pigeon and another two, ;D [cant remember off hand ;D],, these were off course selectively bred , again back to the rock dove , so a very interesting question,,

[DOVEScot]

 

The only other place I've seen them is near Applecross, Loch Carron way on the NW coast of Scotland.

 

I hope they are well away from hawks of they won't be there much longer

[Guest youngzimmy]

ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES THEM IN PICS I WOULD SAY REMEMBER SEEING THE SAME TYPE OF PIGEON IN HAILS QUARRY IN LONGSTONE IN EDINBURGH WHEN I WAS A KID

[slinky slitheroe]

Here's a couple of pics I took of wild Rock Doves on Menorca. There were about 60 birds living in 2 small caves in the cliffs. They look faster and definately more agile than our domestic birds, not sure they'd have the stamina for racing though.

 

I spent an hour hiding in the cave waiting for them to come back and this young bird (a cock I think) is the only one that returned while I was there......much longer winged with the flights reaching the tip of the tail, unlike most racers.Great pics there must be some amount of close inbreeding going on among these rock doves.

 

 

 

 

 

[belmont]

There probably is slinky. Judging by the piles of droppings in the caves and the size of the holes where the birds have been pecking for minerals I'd say they've been there a very long time.........

[Guest shay]

i was working on a barn conversion near corbridge in northumberland and there was a breeding box there and a pair off rock doves had took over they nest there every year u could get near them as soon as u went near they were off