Would you like to know how to help our beautiful urban birds? These are classed as mostly pigeons and doves. Some people get frustrated with them, but if they come into urban areas and eat dropped food, that’s not their fault. Like all wildlife, they are opportunists. Also see why we should give seagulls back their natural home.
Turtle doves are now near extinction, and artist Matt Sewell is using his talent to help sell cards to raise money to save them. Featured in the Bible, Shakespeare and Chaucer, numbers are down, with just 9 birds for every 100 that there were in the 1970s. Matt says ‘I have hazy summertime memories of hearing the cooing lullabies of turtle doves when I was a child. It’s horrible to think that sound could soon vanish completely’
This post focuses on the two main birds of pigeons and doves. And if you think that pigeons are ‘flying rats’, you would be wrong. In fact, they are doves! There are two types of pigeons. Wood pigeons are the ones that coo and live in trees, while feral pigeons tend to live on the streets. They actually save a lot of money for councils, as they eat up a lot of dropped food (which is why you should not drop litter, as they could eat toxic food like xylitol found in baked goods and discarded gum).
It is a myth that pigeons spread lots of disease. They are beautiful birds with interesting personalities. One boy who made friends with a pigeon was being bullied: so the pigeon dive-bombed the gang of bullies!
Don’t feed urban birds artificially (unless starving) or they will rely on you (and die if you moved away or died). Reduce food gradually (in summer when there is plenty of natural food: fruit, berries, ants, worms). Don’t feed stale/dry/mouldy bread to any birds, it can harm and block digestion. See how to help our garden birds and how to stop birds flying into windows.
- London Pigeons has a really interesting guide to pigeons. If you live in London, Save the Pigeons can help injured birds. Ken Livingstone brought in a law to try to starve out the Trafalgar Square pigeons, but thankfully it has not worked.
- PiCAS can offer skilled help for humane deterrence of pigeons, gulls and other roosting birds. Their methods involve ‘bird spikes’ that stop birds landing on roofs, and dummy eggs. Their methods are cheaper, quicker, kinder and more effective than lethal control or using birds of prey (which can sometimes rip birds to pieces) and their services are used by many offices, schools, hospitals and council buildings.
- The Accidental Countryside goes beyond birds to look at the wildlife of these crowded islands. From seabirds over the border in Shetland to peat teeming with life in Somerset, to rare insects over in Belfast, then back to London’s falcon, discover hidden urban friends.
Are Crows Our Most Intelligent Birds?
It’s believed so, yes. Most experts believe that crows are indeed the brainbox birds of our native avian kingdom. Crows is a book about the wise guys of the avian world, and is considered the classic guide to this most enigmatic bird.
There was a story once about a crow in Japan. It was seen above a busy road, holding a nut in its mouth. It waited until a car was coming, then dropped the nut in the road, knowing the car would run over it, to crack it. Then the crow flew down to pick it up for dinner! Crows also know how to use tools and even visit elderly parents, after they’ve flown the nest. Experts now believe they have the same reasoning as a 7-year old child.
Crows are often seen sitting on your garden fence. But of course, by tradition, we know them for being in the Tower of London (which will fall, if the crows leave). The Tower of London has six resident crows (plus a ‘spare’) that live at the tower. It’s not good that their wings are clipped (so they can’t fly far as their wings are unbalanced). But at least they are not living in cages, and are free to roam the power precincts during the day. They are fed a diet of raw meat (and bird formula biscuits, soaked in blood apparently), each day.
Crows are one of the raven family. So what’s the difference between crows and ravens? Ravens have larger bills and tails, while crows are not much bigger than pigeons. Ravens tend to live in more rural areas. Both are related to rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies and choughs. Woodland Trust has a good guide, to let you know who’s who!
Also belonging to the same bird family are magpies. It’s a myth that they steal shiny objects (this started due to a storyline from a French play back in 1815). And although they are curious, no more so than other birds. They do eat eggs and chicks, but so do many other birds. Alas, that’s nature.
Is it bad luck to only see one magpie? No, that’s nonsense. Artist Sophie Corrigan covers this in her lovely book The Not Bad Animals (seeing black cats is good too!) It all stemmed from some old superstitious nursery rhyme. In fact, if you see a lone magpie in China or Korea, it’s good luck!
Like a half-cut granddad, proud as punch at his grand-daughter’s wedding; in brand new suit, having the time of his life, stuffed to the gunnels with booze & cake. And getting ready to take to the dance floor. (woodpigeon)
A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching is an ideal book to help foster a love for and help these urban birds. Get to the know the world’s most misunderstood bird. Far from ‘flying rats’, this illustrated field guide covers why they coo, how they flock and preen, kiss and mate (for life!) And how they raise their young on (chunky?) pigeon milk.
