Pigeon shower

Feral pigeons successfully maintain urban populations in Britain because they find all they need in our towns and cities. Food is plentiful, whether discarded by people or deliberately bought and fed to them in the form of corn and specially prepared feed. Our buildings effectively mimic the cliffs that the ancestor of the feral pigeons (the rock dove) favoured for nest sites and safe refuge. And, as we discovered in Worcester recently, they even have showers provided by thoughtful urban planners, places where they can keep cool, have a drink and make themselves look their best!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

The feral pigeon

The feral pigeons that we see in the towns and cities of Britain are the domesticated descendants of the rock dove (Columba livia), a wild bird that is still native to the UK. The feral versions carry the same Latin name even though in many (though not all) instances they look quite different from their wild ancestor. Today the truly wild rock doves inhabit a just a few northerly sea cliff locations. However, their descendants are everywhere. This feral pigeon, perched on a sill at the old Borough Flour Mill at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, perhaps saw the building as an inland cliff.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10