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The rock dove is the most common breed of pigeon. The urban form of this bird is known to almost every person. It is impossible to imagine the streets of cities and towns without the flight and cooing of a rock dove. It can be found on city streets, in parks, squares, squares, where there is sure to be someone who wants to feed rock pigeons. This is exactly what they expect from a person who treats a bird with understanding and love.
Description of the rock dove
A person has long been accustomed to the fact that a gray dove necessarily settles next to his dwelling, whose cooing on the roof of the house is associated with peace and tranquility. Since ancient times, many peoples have shown honor and respect to this bird. For some, the dove was a symbol of fertility, for others, for love and friendship, for others, for divine inspiration.
The Blue Dove species belongs to the family of pigeons and includes two main forms, common to almost all continents of the globe.
Wild gray pigeons living in nature, away from humans.
Wild sisari are uniform in appearance and have the same bluish-gray color, which is dictated by the conditions of survival and, for safety reasons, allows them to merge with the whole flock.
Synanthropic pigeons living next to people.
At the same time, among the urban gray pigeons there are individuals that have significant differences in the color of plumage.
Appearance
Among other species of pigeons, the gray pigeon is considered a large bird, second in size only to the pigeon. Differing from each other in color, gray pigeons can otherwise be described in the same way:
- body length reaches 30-35 cm, wingspan – from 50 to 60 cm;
- weight can reach up to 380-400 g;
- plumage color – light bluish with a metallic, greenish or purple tint on the neck;
- the wings are wide and pointed towards the end, have two distinct transverse stripes of a dark color, and the rump is white;
- in the lumbar region there is a remarkable bright spot about 5 cm in size, which is noticeable when the wings of the bird are open;
- pigeon legs can be pink to dark brown, sometimes with little feathering;
- eyes have an orange, yellow or red iris;
- the beak is black with a light cere at its base.
Urban rock pigeons are more varied in color than wild ones. Currently, according to the color scheme, they are distinguished by 28 species or morphs. Among them are gray doves with brown and white feathers. Apparently, this is the result of crossing street rock pigeons with domesticated thoroughbred pigeons.
Outwardly, the male rock dove can be distinguished from the female by a more saturated color. Also, the rock dove is somewhat larger than the dove. Young birds at the age of 6-7 months do not have such bright plumage as adult pigeons.
The eyes of a rock dove are able to distinguish all shades of colors that are available to the human eye, as well as the ultraviolet range. A dove sees “faster” than a person, since his eye is able to perceive 75 frames per second, and the human eye is only 24. The eye of a rock dove cannot be blinded by a sudden flash or the sun due to the connective tissue, which has the ability to change its density in a timely manner.
The hearing of the sizar is well developed and is able to pick up sounds with low frequencies that are inaccessible to human perception.
Vote
The rock dove can be recognized by its voice – its cooing, with which it accompanies its active life, is characteristic of the whole family and differs depending on the feeling it expresses:
- inviting cooing – the loudest, issued to attract the attention of the female, resembles the howl “guut … guuut”;
- the invitation to the nest sounds the same as the invitation, but at the moment the female approaches, it is complemented by a wheeze;
- the pigeon song at the beginning of courtship resembles a quiet cooing, which intensifies when the male is excited and turns into loud sounds “guuurrkruu … guurrkruu”;
- to report danger, the rock dove makes short and sharp sounds “gruu … gruuu”;
- the dove accompanies the feeding of the chicks with soft cooing, similar to meowing;
- hissing and clicking are emitted by pigeon chicks.
In fact, there are a lot of sounds made by gray doves. The vocal palette varies depending on the period, condition and age of the bird. Only the birds themselves and, to some extent, people studying pigeons can distinguish them.
of movement
The wild rock dove settles in mountainous areas, on rocks, in cracks or caves. He is not used to climbing a tree and does not know how to do it. The city rock pigeon has learned to sit on a tree branch, as well as on the eaves or roof of a house.
The dove spends the whole day in motion. In search of food, he can fly for several kilometers, he is known as an excellent pilot. A wild individual can reach speeds of up to 180 km / h. Domesticated pigeons gain speed up to 100 km/h. A gray dove takes off from the ground very noisily, loudly flapping its wings. The flight itself in the air is strong and purposeful.
Observations of the movement of the rock dove in the air are interesting:
- if you need to slow down, then the pigeon opens its tail with a “butterfly”;
- at the threat of an attack by a bird of prey, he folds his wings and rapidly falls down;
- wings connected at the top help to fly in a circle.
The step of the bird when it moves on the ground is also peculiar. It seems that the rock dove nods its head when walking. First, the head moves forward, then it stops and the body catches up with it. At this time, the image is focused in the retina of the motionless eye. This method of movement helps the pigeon to navigate well in space.
bird spread
The wild rock pigeon lives in mountainous and flat areas with abundant grassy vegetation and nearby flowing reservoirs. He does not settle in forest areas, but prefers open areas. Its habitat ranged across North Africa, South and Central Europe, and Asia. At present, the populations of the wild rock pigeon have been greatly reduced and have survived only in some places remote from humans.
Synanthropic, that is, accompanying a person, the rock dove is common on all continents except Antarctica. These birds can be found all over the world. The city sizar settles where it is possible to safely nest and feed in the most difficult times of the year. In cold seasons, the wild pigeon descends from the mountains to the lowlands, and the city pigeon – closer to human habitation and garbage dumps.
Rock dove subspecies
The rock dove from the genus of pigeons (Columba) of the pigeon family (Columbidae) has been described by many researchers. In the Guide to the Doves of Peace, David Gibbs classifies rock pigeons into 12 subspecies, which were described at different times by ornithologists from different countries. All these subspecies differ in the intensity of coloring, body size and the width of the stripe on the lower back.
It is believed that at present only 2 subspecies of the rock dove live in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (the territory of the former USSR).
Columba livia – nominative subspecies inhabiting Eastern and Central Europe, North Africa, Asia. The general coloration is slightly darker. In the lumbar region there is a white spot measuring 40-60 mm.
Ignored the light dove – Turkestan blue dove, common in the highlands of Central Asia. The plumage coloration is slightly lighter than the nominative subspecies; there is a brighter metallic tint on the neck. The spot in the region of the sacrum is more often gray, less often dark, and even less often – white and small in size – 20-40 mm.
It has been noticed that the synanthropic rock pigeons living next to a person at the present time are very different in color from their relatives described by ornithologists a hundred years ago. It is assumed that this is the result of crossing with domestic individuals.
Life
Sisari live in packs in which there is no hierarchy, but a peaceful neighborhood is common. They do not make the seasonal migrations characteristic of many birds, but they can fly from place to place in search of food. In cold weather, wild individuals descend from the mountains to the valleys, where it is easier to find food, and with the onset of heat they return home. City pigeons prefer to stay in one place, periodically flying around an area of several kilometers.
In the wild, gray pigeons build their nests in rock crevices. This makes them hard to reach for predators. They can also settle in the mouths of rivers and in flat places. Urban individuals settle next to a person in places that remind them of natural conditions: in the attics of houses, in the voids of roofs, under beams of bridges, on bell towers, water towers.
Rock pigeons are diurnal and actively move during daylight hours. City pigeons are able to fly up to 50 km from their nest only in search of food. Sisari spend about 3% of their energy on such flights. By dusk, they always return home and sleep all night, fluffed up and hiding their beak in feathers. At the same time, the duties of the male include guarding the nest, while the female sleeps there.
A wild pigeon is wary of a person and does not give him the opportunity to get close, he flies away in advance. The city feathered bird is accustomed to a person, expects feeding from him, therefore it allows him to come very close and even eats from his hands. It is rare to see a lone rock dove. The rock dove always keeps in flocks.
A characteristic feature of a pigeon flock is to attract their fellows to places favorable for living. They do this during nesting and after it. Having chosen a convenient place for building a nest, the pigeon invites not only the dove there, but also other pigeons to settle nearby and create a pigeon colony in which it feels safer.
They also use sending scouts in search of food. When such a place is found, the scouts return for the rest of the pack. If there is danger, then it is enough for one to give a signal, as the whole flock instantly rises up.
Food
Rock pigeons are omnivorous birds. Due to the small number of developed taste buds in the mouth (there are only 37 of them, and a person has about 10), they are not very picky in the choice of food. Their main diet is plant foods – seeds of wild and cultivated plants, berries. Less commonly, pigeons eat small insects, worms. The type of food depends on the habitat and what the environment has to offer.
Synanthropic individuals have adapted to eat human food waste. They visit crowded places – city squares, markets, as well as elevators, garbage dumps, where they can easily find food for themselves. The weight and structure of the body do not allow pigeons to peck grains from spikelets, but only to lift those that have fallen to the ground. Thus, they do not damage agricultural land.
It is noted that birds strive to eat large pieces first, judging food by size. Do not hesitate to grab a piece, pushing relatives and swooping down from above. During feeding, they behave decently only in relation to their pair. Gray pigeons feed mainly in the morning and during the daytime, eating at one time from 17 to 40 g of grains. If possible, the urban pigeon fills its stomach with food to the limit, and then the goiter for a reserve, as hamsters do.
Pigeons drink water differently from most birds. Sisari dip their beak into the water and draw it into themselves, while other birds scoop up a small amount with their beak and throw back their heads so that the water rolls down the throat into the stomach.
Reproduction
Pigeons are monogamous birds and form permanent pairs for life. Before starting to lure the female, the male finds and occupies a nesting site. Depending on the region and its climatic conditions, nesting takes place at different times. It can start at the end of February, and egg laying can take place throughout the year. But the main time for laying eggs in pigeons is in spring, summer and the warm part of autumn.
Before mating, a ritual of courting a dove for a dove takes place. With all his movements he tries to attract her attention to himself: he dances, moving alternately in one direction or the other, puffs out his neck, spreads his wings, coos loudly, makes his tail fan. Often during this period, the male makes current flights: the dove rises up, loudly flapping its wings, and then glides, raising its wings over its back.
If all this is accepted by the dove, then the male and female show attention and affection to each other, clean the feathers of their chosen one, kiss, which allows them to synchronize their reproductive systems. And after mating, the male makes a ritual flight, loudly flapping its wings.
The nests look flimsy, carelessly made. They are built from small branches and dry grass that a dove brings, and the dove arranges the building material at its discretion. Nesting lasts from 9 to 14 days. The laying of two eggs is carried out by the female with an interval of 2 days. The dove mainly incubates the eggs. The male replaces her from 10 am to 17 pm at the time when she needs to feed and fly to the watering place.
The incubation period ends after 17-19 days. The pecking of the shell lasts from 18 to 24 hours. Rock dove chicks appear one after another with an interval of 48 hours. They are blind and covered with a sparse yellowish down, in places with completely bare skin.
For the first 7-8 days, the parents feed the chicks with bird’s milk, which is produced in their goiter. It is a highly nutritious food with a yellowish sour cream texture and rich in protein. From such nutrition, on the second day, the rock dove chicks double their weight. Milk feeding occurs for 6-7 days, 3-4 times a day. The parents then add various seeds to the milk. Starting from the 10th day of birth, the chicks are fed a highly moistened grain mixture with a small amount of crop milk.
Chicks take to the wings already 33-35 days after hatching. At this time, the female proceeds to incubate the next batch of eggs. Puberty of young pigeons occurs at the age of 5-6 months. The average lifespan of a wild rock pigeon is 3-5 years.
Human relationship
Since ancient times, the dove has been revered as a sacred bird. The mention of it was found in the manuscripts of 5000 years ago. In the Bible, the dove is present in the story of Noah when he sent the bird to search for land. In all religions, the dove symbolizes peace.
Rock pigeons are known to be good postmen. For centuries, people have used their help to deliver important messages. Helping pigeons in this is their ability to always find their way home, wherever they are taken. Until now, scientists have not given an exact answer how doves do it. Some believe that birds are guided in space by magnetic fields and sunlight. Others argue that gray pigeons use landmarks laid by a person – traces of their life activity.
Synanthropic pigeons are accustomed to humans and are not afraid to come close, take food directly from their hands. But in reality, hand-feeding pigeons is not so safe. These birds can infect a person with a dozen dangerous diseases for him. Also, birds are carriers of about 50 species of dangerous parasites. Another problem associated with city pigeons is that they pollute architectural monuments and city buildings with their droppings.
For a long time, rock pigeons have been used as farm animals. They were bred for meat, fluff, eggs, fertilizers. A century ago, pigeon meat was considered more valuable than the meat of any other bird.
According to statistics, the number of urban sizars is increasing, while wild ones are decreasing. It is necessary to approach the issue of cohabitation of a person and a rock dove with understanding. This question should not be left to chance. Help in feeding street rock pigeons and getting rid of bird diseases should be done by a person wisely.
Conclusion
The gray dove is a small bird, the use of which a person has found at all times, using its unusual abilities. At first it was a postman delivering important news, then a member of the rescue team to search for missing people. A person has something to learn from pigeons – devotion and fidelity, love and friendship – these qualities symbolize the purity of the soul and thoughts. To see in the gray dove the good that it brings to a person, you need to know as much as possible about it.
