WILD ROCK DOVE PICS

[DOVEScot]

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.........

 

Do you think that is how they created there nests in the sandstone rock?

[slinky slitheroe]

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

Sure it wisnae stock doves?.

 

 

[Guest IB]

Posted on this before:

 

Rock doves lived cheek-by-jowl with peregrines on rocky coasts for generations ~ so rock doves must have it in their genes how to avoid being taken by peregrines, and as our race birds are decendants, would have thought according to Darwin, they must have the same innate ability ...

 

Also RSPB tried to install peregrines onto a Scottish Western Isle. Birds would have none of it, and instead colonised another Island, from memory either Harris or Lewis, where chough had previously been introduced. RSPB then introduced rock doves, all this featured on a TV programme a good year ago, maybes Landmark?

[Guest Glen]

I,d like to get a hold of 1 or 2 of these to experiment with racers.

[DOVEScot]

I,d like to get a hold of 1 or 2 of these to experiment with racers.

 

We kept Barbary doves which are totally different from pigeons and would not cross breed so it would depend on a lot of things but I would like to see if they were compatible and the results

[jimmy white]

Sure it wisnae stock doves?.

 

 

the stock doves , dont have the bars  like the rock dove, but are usualy seen in pairs, opposed to the more gregarious rock dove [in flocks]

[slinky slitheroe]

 

the stock doves , dont have the bars  like the rock dove, but are usualy seen in pairs, opposed to the more gregarious rock dove [in flocks]

Stock doves have bars and are very similar to wood pigeons in flight.I shot one by mistake years ago the dog brought it back and on closer inspection saw it was still alive it had the most beautifull violet eye ive ever seen in my life.Ive never got over shooting such a lovely creature.

 

 

[belmont]

 

Do you think that is how they created there nests in the sandstone rock?

 

Yes mate, the pecking had definitely created holes for nesting.

[belmont]

 

We kept Barbary doves which are totally different from pigeons and would not cross breed so it would depend on a lot of things but I would like to see if they were compatible and the results

 

They would breed with racers no trouble mate, one of the biggest threat to the wild birds is feral pigeons mixing with them and diluting the wild genes. I'd like to try one or two and see how they race when bred back to a good stock bird.

[jimmy white]

Stock doves have bars and are very similar to wood pigeons in flight.I shot one by mistake years ago the dog brought it back and on closer inspection saw it was still alive it had the most beautifull violet eye ive ever seen in my life.Ive never got over shooting such a lovely creature.

 

 

i may well be mistaken slinky, , but only noted them in pairs, and they didnt seem to have the same bars as the the b bar type of rock dove,,

[DOVEScot]

 

They would breed with racers no trouble mate, one of the biggest threat to the wild birds is feral pigeons mixing with them and diluting the wild genes. I'd like to try one or two and see how they race when bred back to a good stock bird.

 

You will have to go earlier next year and get some eggs and float them :-/

[Guest]

Stock doves have bars and are very similar to wood pigeons in flight.I shot one by mistake years ago the dog brought it back and on closer inspection saw it was still alive it had the most beautifull violet eye ive ever seen in my life.Ive never got over shooting such a lovely creature.

 

what an honest statement .                                  andy.

 

[harky]

 

i may well be mistaken slinky, , but only noted them in pairs, and they didnt seem to have the same bars as the the b bar type of rock dove,,

 

Jimmy your right about them only being in pairs but they have bars seen a pair over the old ravenscraig site and was fascinated on what they were , they were the same size as wood pigeons but with bars only found out what they were when i looked up a native bird of Britain book  

[slinky slitheroe]

 

Jimmy your right about them only being in pairs but they have bars seen a pair over the old ravenscraig site and was fascinated on what they were , they were the same size as wood pigeons but with bars only found out what they were when i looked up a native bird of Britain book  

They are smaller than wood pigeons and like to nest in holes in trees.

 

 

[Guest IB]

 

They would breed with racers no trouble mate, one of the biggest threat to the wild birds is feral pigeons mixing with them and diluting the wild genes. I'd like to try one or two and see how they race when bred back to a good stock bird.

 

Again, on TV, websites and in books, the claim is that the feral pigeon is down off rock dove too.

 

For manys a year there was a belief that ferals were off stray racing pigeons? And I'm sure there was also a claim that ferals are decendants of the 'big house' pigeons that were kept for eggs and meat and 'liberated' when this became unfashionable.

 

I'm sure there was also a TV prog this year that said ferals were the modern rock dove, which had 'moved habitat' to colonise these new 'towny' niches.

[Tony C]

Rock Doves are all blue in colour, blue x blue can only breed blues. If this statement is correct they must have been crossed with another species to give them the red/mealy gene that gives us our present day racer. Y/N? :-/

[cowman]

i`m in gloucestershire and when i`m drilling the corn in i always have around a dozen following the tractor in the field .

[belmont]

Rock Doves are all blue in colour, blue x blue can only breed blues. If this statement is correct they must have been crossed with another species to give them the red/mealy gene that gives us our present day racer. Y/N? :-/

 

Mealys are just a dilute form of blue, lacking the gene for melanin, so a mutation of the same species. Like budgies, lots of colours turn up during inbreeding/domestication but all the same species.....

[Guest IB]

Rock Doves are all blue in colour, blue x blue can only breed blues. If this statement is correct they must have been crossed with another species to give them the red/mealy gene that gives us our present day racer. Y/N? :-/

 

Red colour was a gene mutation, and I think it happened in the breeding of racing pigeons, not the wild.

[billt]

 

i may well be mistaken slinky, , but only noted them in pairs, and they didnt seem to have the same bars as the the b bar type of rock dove,,

 

You're right, no bars on Stock dove and no white rump

[Guest grizzler]

Rock Doves are all blue in colour, blue x blue can only breed blues. If this statement is correct they must have been crossed with another species to give them the red/mealy gene that gives us our present day racer. Y/N? :-/

 

one of the breeds used in the creation of the racing homer,was the smearl.  other breeds were used also