# Tiger Grizzle or (?) in feral group



## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

I was at a shopping center today that has a HUGE feral population of pigeons. This is mostly blue bars and checks, occasional t-pattern and occasional but very few grizzles and a small few with white flights or other pied markings. Two birds (out of well more than 100) stood out in being mostly white some dark feathers evenly spaced throughout thier body (including wings and tails)......like a dalmation (dog).....the distribution readily apparent in the air and on the ground. Maybe 70% white and 30% color spread out evenly. Could this be tiger grizzle in these ferals? The pattern was too regular compared to most pied bird.


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## tmaas (May 17, 2012)

Yes, it could very well be tiger grizzle but more likely to be homozygous grizzle combined with spread on blue. I've seen such birds in feral flocks periodically. I've also seen rec. reds and red mottles in feral flocks. What has always intrigued me is that I've never seen dilute birds in feral flocks.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

tmaas there were one or two spreads so maybe that could be. Vast majority by far was blue bars and checks. I saw one or two ash red there before but not this time. 
In NJ suburbia around here this is what I typically see.....blue bars and checks with just an occasional bit of grizzle or some white flights. When I go into the bigger cities (Philadelphia or New York City near me) I see much more variation. I don't think I have seen dilutes either come to think of it. I actually saw a feral with gimple in NYC one time. I don't remember seeing rec reds here but while vacationing in Ecuador one time I saw flocks with a lot of recessive reds and mottles and indigos.


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## tmaas (May 17, 2012)

In the cities and more densely fancier populated areas there are likely more domestic birds blended into feral populations of pigeons. Here in Iowa farm communities we have very few fanciers so I presume it's a more "wild" pigeon population. 

I've not seen indigos but did find a flock with a high percentage of penciled, or maybe heavy undergrizzle, birds in it some years ago.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Woodnative said:


> I was at a shopping center today that has a HUGE feral population of pigeons. This is mostly blue bars and checks, occasional t-pattern and occasional but very few grizzles and a small few with white flights or other pied markings. Two birds (out of well more than 100) stood out in being mostly white some dark feathers evenly spaced throughout thier body (including wings and tails)......like a dalmation (dog).....the distribution readily apparent in the air and on the ground. Maybe 70% white and 30% color spread out evenly. Could this be tiger grizzle in these ferals? The pattern was too regular compared to most pied bird.


as long as people keep breeding and keeping pigeons and bringing them here to the U.S., there will be escapees, lost birds, dumped birds, birds that nest in a dovecote and join a local flock, homers straying to live a hobo life..so many reasons there is a feral population and all of them come from domestic stock so ferals can be any color or breed of pigeon, not just the "wild" pattern or color.


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