Feral Pigeons cause a lousy outcome
No Comments »15th March, 2008; Category: Bird Behaviour, Birds in the News, Murray Bridge, Pigeons and Doves
Our local Police Station here in Murray Bridge has had to close its doors this week. They have had a lice infestation caused by too many Feral Pigeons (Rock Doves) nesting and roosting on the premises. The station was closed so that fumigation could be undertaken. A temporary station was set up nearby in a portable building.
With the late heatwave we have been having over the last two weeks, this would have been quite uncomfortable for the local constabulary. Still, on the comfort scale, oppressive heat in the workplace is probably a few notches higher that constant itching.
Rock Doves, Northbridge, Sydney
Crested Pigeons by the dozens
No Comments »4th March, 2008; Category: Pigeons and Doves
Last week when I was at college I had a short break between lectures. I took this opportunity to have a short ten minute walk through the grounds. Next to the student car park there is an oval and a grassed area where many local people walk their dogs.
Crested Pigeons
Using the term “grassed area” is being somewhat generous. With the water restrictions over the last year and the very hot, dry conditions during our recent summer months the grass is lacking any greenness and is almost dead. There must be enough seed left for the local population of Crested Pigeons to find a feed. I observed approximately 90 Crested Pigeons feeding in an area about the size of three tennis courts. They have obviously been prolific breeders in recent times. This area has many trees and low bushy shrubs in the parks and gardens nearby, so there would be plenty of nesting sites.
The above photo was not taken at the time. It was taken in Clare in another part of South Australia at a time when there had been some rain to green up the grass.
A new bird for our garden list: Collared Turtle-dove
Collared Turtle-dove
CORRECTION: I have asked various experts in these matters and it seems that the general opinion is that this bird is in fact a BARBARY DOVE.
It is not often these days that I am able to add a new bird to our garden bird list. We’ve been living here now for over 20 years and a new species added to the list is a notable event.
This morning while putting out the rubbish bin my attention was drawn to an unusual bird in the tree near the driveway. Immediately I thought it was a Spotted Turtle-dove. On closer inspection it was far lighter in colour than the resident Spotted Turtle-doves which are an introduced species here in Australia. The Spotted Turtle-doves frequently nest in our garden but are never present in large numbers – perhaps three or four at a time at most.
Something quite different
I left the rubbish bin in the driveway and raced inside for the binoculars. As I went I changed my mind and grabbed the digital camera. It was still there when I came out again, posing beautifully in full sunlight on a branch just above head height. Lovely. I realised instantly that this was something quite different. I immediately thought it was a Collared Turtle-dove (also called a Barbary Dove: UPDATE: I’m not sure if this is true; the sites I consulted are very confusing).
Introduced species:
This species is not featured in Australian Field Guides as a resident species. It is present in a few suburbs in nearby Adelaide (80km to the west) and Alice Springs (central Australia) and I’ve read of a few small populations in parts of eastern Australia. Research on the internet has not been all that satisfying and somewhat confusing. This is because there seem to be a number of different common names used for this species, if I’m reading the information correctly. Some names I’ve some across include Collared Dove, Collared Turtle-dove, Barbary Dove, Ringed Dove and it looks somewhat like the African Collared Dove. To say I’m confused is an understatement. If any readers can clear up these issues I appreciate you using the comments below (or the contact email form here).
Collared Turtle-dove
Behaviour
This bird seemed to be very tame. It sat patiently and quietly in the tree just above my head while I took the photos on this page. It was less than three metres away through much of this process. This indicates to me that it has escaped – or been released – from someone’s aviary. There are many bird keepers in our city with a very active bird club. To my knowledge this is the first time this species has been recorded in the wild here. I thought of catching it and putting it in a cage, but it was too high to reach. Within a half hour it had flown and I haven’t seen it again. I hope that it was a single bird; we don’t really want a breeding colony resident in the district.
A “lifer” for me
Not only was this a new bird for our garden list – and a species that may never be recorded here again – it was also a “lifer” meaning I’d never seen this species before in my life. It was not as exciting as adding any other species to my life list because it is an introduced species and something that should not be here. Add to that the fact that it has either escaped or been released from an aviary takes the gloss off seeing a new bird.
[Sigh] I’ll just have to get out more to add other species to my life list.
Click on the photos to enlarge the images.
Collared Turtle-dove
Collared Turtle-dove
Collared Turtle-dove
PLEASE NOTE: ALL PHOTOS ON THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE LABELLED “BARBARY DOVE”.
Birding around Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia
No Comments »29th July, 2007; Category: Darters and Cormorants, Pigeons and Doves, Seabirds, Shorebirds
Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia
During our recent holiday in Robe in the south east of South Australia we went for a short drive to Cape Dombey. This is within walking distance of the main street but our cottage was at the other end of town so we drove.
Rock Doves, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia
The cape consists of some low but spectacular cliffs. We spent about an hour there during a beautiful sunny and calm morning, a complete contrast with the wild weather of the previous three days. I was a little disappointed with the birding while we were there. The most common birds were the Rock Doves roosting on the rock ledges or on top of the cliffs. Occasionally a small flock would fly over towards one of the rocks or small islands just off the coast.
Pied Cormorants, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia
I also saw a few Little Pied Cormorants and their larger cousins the Pied Cormorants. Some of these were seen flying or swimming out to sea, others, including those in the photo above, were resting on the nearby rocks. On a nearby rock ledge I also saw two Sooty Oystercatchers, but they flew off before I could get a photo of them.
Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia
Other birds in the locality included Welcome Swallows gliding and swooping around the headland and the nearby scrub. In the bushy area in the nearby sandhills I also saw several Singing Honeyeaters, several small flocks of Superb Blue Wrens, a single Grey Shrike Thrush and several Masked Lapwings on the lawns of nearby houses as we returned to the cottage for lunch. I also heard several Little Ravens calling.
Oh – I nearly forgot the occasional small flock of Silver Gulls and a solitary Crested Tern.
Click on the photos to enlarge the image.
A Panic of Pigeons
Winter has hit with a vengeance here in Murray Bridge South Australia. Last week we had a series of severe frosts. Normally I wouldn’t mind; I’d just snuggle into my nice warm bed for a little longer. I didn’t have that luxury last week as I needed to be up well before dawn for work. I temporarily went back to full time work as a relief driver for a friend who runs a courier business; he needed a holiday.
On my rounds around the town delivering parcels I am able to observe various birds as I drive, mainly on the power lines along the streets. Last week I noted quite a few Crested Pigeons sitting in rows on the power lines. Sometimes these loose groups of pigeons numbered twenty or more.
Now this week the frosts have given way to bitterly cold winds from the south with occasional scudding showers. We need another good soaking rain again like we had a few weeks ago, not just a few showers. A few days ago I was out getting in some more firewood to keep us warm while I write. A sudden noise attracted my attention; about forty Crested Pigeons were flying at great speed just overhead.
They seemed to be in panic mode.
I’m not surprised; a few seconds later a Little Eagle lazily glided overhead.
For more articles about pigeons check out my archives here.