Feral Pigeon
Columba livia domestica
Summary 4
The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is a pigeon that was derived from the rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics. Research suggests that domestication of pigeons occurred as early as 10,000 years ago.
Feral pigeons 5
Many domestic birds have escaped or been released over the years, and have given rise to the feral pigeon. These show a variety of plumages, although some look very like pure rock pigeons. The scarcity of the pure wild species is partly due to interbreeding with feral birds. Domestic pigeons can often be distinguished from feral pigeons because they usually have a metal or plastic band around one (sometimes both) legs which shows, by a number on it, that they are registered to an owner.
Yukon Invasive Species 6
Currently occurs in low numbers and therefore are not expected to have a remarkable impact on native species.
For more information visit: Yukon Invasive Species Council
Sources and Credits
- Felix Abraham, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stadttaube-FelixAbraham.jpg
- (c) Thorsten Denhard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columba_livia_domestica_(Germany,Heidelberg).jpg
- (c) Vitalii Khustochka, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/phenolog/9876678544/
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columba_livia_domestica
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_pigeon
- (c) L.G. Johanson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Color | green, grey, purple |
|---|---|
| Animal | Birds (Aves) |
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