I'm sure that, like me, you've all been following the facts and figures surrounding wood pigeon survival and nesting rates in the United Kingdom over recent months and years.

Just as a quick reminder for those of you who have forgotten your wood pigeon schooling, the wood pigeon, which can be found in Europe, Africa and Asia, is essentially a fat, unattractive bird with a pinkish brown neck and breast.


(A wood pigeon yesterday)

Well, good news everyone!!

After what had appeared to be a decline in general, in respect of many species of bird in 2003, British ornithologists have reported a 'bounce back' in numbers in 2004.

Here's the full text of the story which details specifically the exciting news that the wood pigeon is now the UK's most common bird.

Keep it up, wood pigeon!

"Wood pigeon most common UK bird"

"The wood pigeon is now the most commonly seen bird across the UK, a study has found. The second most common was the chaffinch, followed by blackbirds, wrens, robins and carrion crows. The survey, by 2,000 British Trust for Ornithology volunteers, found many species had bounced back in 2004 from a decline in numbers recorded in 2003. Numbers of ravens, for example, increased by 91% during the course of 2004, the trust said. The annual survey carried out by the BTO involves 2,000 people who go out at dawn to count the UK's birds. It was also a good year for many African migrant species and for some farmland species that had been in long-term decline, particularly the tree sparrow and song thrush. But there was bad news for the lesser redpoll and yellow wagtail and signs that sparrowhawk numbers are falling. There was a 247% increase in sand martins; and numbers of cuckoo, which had declined 47% between 1970 and 2001, were up by 31%. Whitethroats were up 19%, chiffchaffs up 17% and willow warblers up 12%. The increases are believed to reflect a good breeding season in 2003 or better than average winter conditions in Africa during the winter of 2003/2004."


More wood pigeon-related postings to follow!
[Edited 7/6/05 2:45am]

TheFrog said:

I actually like this thread.

Keep up the good work Froggy!

omg! I would see these fellows everywhere in London! They were pretty, and bigger than normal pigeons. I love them!

Did they count the incomplete ones? The ones with bits of wing and leg missing?

Vermin with wings. They don't even taste good.

AsylumUtopia said:

That's where you're wrong. Pigeon is actually pretty tasty in the right hands. I saw someone on TV cooking and was all but apparently it's quite good.

Fauxie said:

With or without the lead poisoning?

PREDOMINANT said:

They just said season to taste as per your preference.

Fauxie said:

No, I'm not, well not entirely. I've eaten pigeon on several occasions, and have cooked it myself once. It's a poor man's quail. They're small, fiddly, they stink when you're preparing them, and the meat (what there is of it) has the texture of duck but the taste is predominantly of whatever the pigeon's diet was, which in most cases is anything the little bastards can shove down their gullets. So when I say they don't even taste good, I mean compared to duck, quail, guinea-fowl, partridge, pheasant, etc.

They spread disease too.

Horrible little fuckers.

Natsume said:

i'll fax you my wood pigeon newsletter!

Re: Fauxie and AsylumUtopia's little discussion on the subject of eating pigeons, i just want to say that this saddens me enormously.

There are plenty of other animals and birds which can be eaten, without needing recourse to the wood pigeon. This thread is meant to be a celebration of the wood pigeon. Where orgers can discuss the ups and downs which the wood pigeon has encountered over the past 18-24 months.

Mods - can we make this a sticky?

Thanks.

TheFrog said:

you are so full of shit

TheFrog said:

I have the fattest bastard pigeon who sits on, and bends, my fence shitting all over the place. If I get that fatso, he is pie!!

TheFrog said:

I'd just like to add that it saddens me too. People waste their time cooking and eating these flying disease spreaders when there is a plethora of tasty fowl and game to choose from.

Leave them alone, I say, unless you're organising a pigeon cull, in which case give me a shout, I'll get my 12-bore.

There are now more pigeons than people in the greater London area.
During the course of their lives, the average Londoner will be shat upon by pigeons at least 56 times.
During the course of their lives, the average Londoner will unwittingly eat pigeon shit on at least 14 occasions.
If you buy food from a fast food outlet in the vicinity of Leicester Square, there is a 63% chance you'll be spitting pigeon feathers.


* It should be noted that the above 'facts' were just made up by me, and are therefore probably untrue.

AsylumUtopia said:

They are true, I (as a very average londoner) have been shat on a total of 55 times

Thanks to the many of you who have phoned, emailed and telegraphed me, asking for more details of the study referred to above.

I've posted a summary of the study below, together with a link to the website where you can read the full report in depth.

I realise you purists out there might wonder why, on a wood pigeon thread, I am giving time over to several other types of bird - but all things must be seen in context, I feel. The general breeding success, laying time, and detection rates relating to other birds all have an effect on the wood pigeon's status as number 1 bird in the United Kingdom, people!



http://www.bto.org/birdtr.../index.htm

"Best trend estimates over the longest available time period (usually 35 years) provide alerts to rapid declines of greater than 50% for 23 species. These are Grey Partridge, Little Grebe, Woodcock, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Song Thrush, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting.

Declining Species


(The Turtle Dove is one of a number of farmland birds that show rapid declines over the last 35 years)

Most of these rapidly declining species are already red- or amber-listed on the Population Status of Birds list (Gregory et al. 2002)
The Whitethroat decline results from the severe crash between 1968 and 1969 linked to conditions on the wintering grounds. The Little Grebe decline should be treated with caution as we only have long-term data from waterways. Lesser Redpoll, Tree Pipit and Woodcock also have limited data. For several of the species listed here long-term trend data are only available for England, where BTO has more volunteers to record information. Different long-term trends could be operating in other parts of the UK.

A further 12 species trigger alerts as a result of long-term declines of between 25% and 49% over periods of 25 to 35 years. These are Red-legged Partridge, Kestrel, Lapwing, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Mistle Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Reed Bunting. Most of these species are already on the PSOB list on account of their population declines.

New Alerts


(Willow Warbler declined by 58% in England between 1967 and 2002, and may be a candidate for future red listing.)

In the 2004 report, we draw special attention to the alerts for three species that have recently crossed the 50% decline threshold. These are Yellow Wagtail (-67%), Willow Warbler (–58%) and Cuckoo (–56%). These may be candidates for future addition to the red section of the Population Status of Birds (PSOB) list.

We also identify two species that may become candidates to join the amber list due to declines of between 25% and 49%. These are Common Sandpiper (-29% over 27 years) and Lesser Whitethroat (-27% over 25 years). Red-legged Partridge also falls within this decline category
(-48% over 25 years) but would not be a candidate for amber listing because it is introduced.

Positive changes


(The Song Thrush is now showing some signs of population recovery following a large decline)

Relatively few species show evidence of improvements in status. Song Thrush numbers have increased by 20% over the last 10 years but even after this recovery they show a 51% decline over the last 35 years.. The 25-year decline measures for Marsh Tit and Reed Bunting are now below 50% as a result of their declines having levelled out in recent years. However, all of these species will need to show further improvements in status if they are to become candidates to leave the red list. For similar reasons Dunnock, Grey Wagtail and Goldcrest could become candidates for removal from the amber list. Overall, most species that have declined show little sign of recovery in the last ten years (only six of the 37 species with long-term declines).

Fourteen species have more than doubled over the longest time period for which data are available (usually 35 years). These are Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot, Oystercatcher, Buzzard, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Blackcap, Magpie, Carrion Crow.

Reduced Breeding Success


(Linnets have declined as a result of
reduced breeding success)

There are a number of species for which declines in breeding performance are likely to be driving the population declines (Linnet and Lapwing) or helping to inhibit recovery (possibly Reed Bunting). The importance of decreases in individual aspects of breeding performance for declining Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Willow Warbler and House Sparrow remain to be determined, as do the implications of the large reductions in CES productivity measures recorded for Song Thrush, Whitethroat and Lesser Redpoll. Many declining species show improving productivity, probably as a consequence of density-dependent processes (there are more resources available to feed the young when population numbers are low.

Increased breeding success

Increasing breeding performance may be helping to drive population expansion of a number of rapidly increasing species: the predatory Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard; the corvids Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Rook; the seed-eaters Collared Dove and Stock Dove; and the insectivores Pied Wagtail, Robin, Wren, Nuthatch and Great Tit.


Early nesting


(Blackbird is one of four additional species for which trends towards earlier laying have been detected)

Data from the Nest Record Scheme provide strong evidence of shifts towards earlier laying in a range of species, linked to climate change (Crick et al. 1997, Crick & Sparks 1999). We have now identified 31 species that, on average, are laying up to 26 days earlier than they did 34 years ago. This latest report adds four species to our previous list of earlier layers; Great Tit, Reed Warbler, Wren and Blackbird."

I can see what Frogboy will be when he's older

you mean lonely??

jerseykrs said:

Oh no you didnt

any chance of a sticky, mods?

i'm getting some really good feedback on this one.

I love these birds. I have two that next in a tree at the bottom of my garden, who I've called Mr and Mrs Hercules (after the large aircraft). I like the "D Day stripes" that wood pigeons have on their wings.

I go a little overboard in feeding the birds in my garden but it's great to see that we have a large bird population this year. My favourite bird is a little male blackbird (who I've called Maverick because he's very different from all the other birds). He was born a couple of years ago and although I feed apples and currants to all the blackbirds, he will come up to my back door and ask for them. I put seed out for the others twice a day usually, as well as fat balls and peanuts.

This year, as well as wood pigeons and blackbirds, we've got loads of starlings, sparrows, blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, goldcrests, swifts, crows, jackdaws, magpies and others that I see less often.

It's a joy to have birds singing in the garden, it really is.

rocknrolldave said:

PREDOMINANT said:

Well, a few more expletives and a bit too much 'wanting to eat the pigeon' for my liking, but at least we've got you thinking about wood pigeons!

Reincarnate said:

Really cute story. Your garden sounds awesome!!

This is the kind of British bird that I like:

TheFrog said:

Thankyou ... it is full of wildlife - not huge by any means, but it makes me very happy