"The flock of 50 or so pigeons lifts from the barn roof as one. The loud clapping of wings makes the horses jump, even though this happens several times a day. I scan the sky for a peregrine but can't see signs of danger. They swirl once, then settle back on to the corrugated metal roof. These farmyard pigeons are a mix of feral and wood pigeons that hang out happily together."
"The remaining males will then leave the communal roost and set up territory ready for the breeding season. Each will defend its area diligently, with that resonant, repetitive cooing. But defence is only effective if targeted. They need to know if an intruder to their territory is a male trespasser, or a prospective mate. I can't tell by looking which wood pigeons are male and which are female and, it turns out, neither can they."
A flock of about 50 pigeons lifts from a barn roof as one, their wing claps startling nearby horses. Farmyard pigeons comprise feral and wood pigeons that mix together. Some wood pigeons are continental winter migrants and will depart, leaving resident males to abandon the communal roost and establish territories for breeding. Males defend territories with resonant repetitive cooing and must identify intruders as males or prospective mates. Females adopt a submissive horizontal posture while males perform a bowing dance with tail fanned. Courtship proceeds to mutual preening and close neck-and-beak contact. Feral pigeons are the same species as ancestral rock doves and have adapted to urban ledges.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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