# Observation local feral flocks



## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

My commute to and from work take me along a major multilane highway (287) here in crowded NJThe crossroads along the way are overhead bridges.....and most of these roads/bridges have high electrical wires running along them. Groups of feral pigeons, mostly blue bars and checks, live under several of these bridges. Interestingly I usually see them lined up on the wires, high up, most of the winter (less so in summer). If I drive during daylight the flocks are almost always on these wires on most days....including cloudy days and light rain. They return to underneath the bridge at night. At this time of year I am passing under these areas about 7:10 or so as the sun is coming up. At this time the flocks emerge and fly in a kit.........circling for quite a few times before landing on the wires. It is neat seeing these multiple kits as I drive to work. Right now it is too dark when I go home but when the days start getting longer I will see the same thing in reverse.........the kits circling before settling under the bridges for the night. Of course these birds must go to eat sometime/somewhere during the day too. I certainly think open air/sunlight is important for health of our pets.........take a hint from these ferals.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

I see them on wires down here in MD. They perch right over a creek, lined up and fluffy. They sit there in the worst weather, wind, rain, snow etc.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Our feral flock get food everyday. Indeed i noticed them sitting on the wires, but only toward the winter, once the weather gets better they move on the roof of Gas station or other roofs. I wondered many times why? Is it warmer on the wires?
Also they have a timing when the go to feed. Exactly at 8:40 - 9:00 am. Of course in this case their seeds are already there put by kind people. They do not go straight for the seeds in the morning; they gather on the wires, then the start exercising suddenly all at once in circles, then go back on the wires and when its their feeding time they land at the parking lot.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Dima - I imagine roofs are warm in the summer and a nice place to sunbath but would be extra cold come winter, The pigeon would absord the cold off the building whereas on a powerline they just have to maintain their own heat.

Our feral flocks here live in 3 main places and are in the 1000's, The town and cliff birds fly miles for food, The birds in the pinetress out in the country have food close by. They can be seen in flocks from 20 - 500 flying daily through the city to get out to the fields and the ones from tjhe cliffs fly out to the lake. I do not often see them on powerlines, Infact it is very rare in ChCh.

The only time they are seen on the ground near the cliffs or in the city is for sticks. All the lovely crop farmers involuntarily supply the ChCh birds with their wide range of seeds and they really do thrive here, Their crops look like diamonds full of food when they are flying back. Also they fly really low to the fields on windy days, sometimes just 1ft above ground. A flock of 100 doing that is amazing, then at the last minute as they approach trees they either file through small gaps or power over them.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Its actually very interesting to compare the observations and habits in different countries.
Here in the UK, we have the common Feral Pigeon in our cities & the Wood Pigeon out in the country, although Woodies are now getting very common in and around the cities "green parkland" areas but never actually feed around the streets as common Ferals do. While Woodies are "moving in" so to speak, the Ferals get drastically fewer in numbers the further out towards the city boundary one goes.
Like Evan, we very rarely see Pigeons on powerlines or telephone wires, that privelege is for the Crows, Magpies & Starlings, and in the country, the Woodies behave in the same manner as the ChCh country birds, but when in the "green areas" around town they hang around in much fewer numbers (usually no more than 10). 

Be it Woodie or Feral, as Dima says, they do seem to have their routine times for exercise/eating etc. 
I have a friend I take to visit a relative in a nursing home regularly on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and there is a riding school/stable right next door, No Ferals in the area at all, but literally Hundreds (possibly even a couple of thousand) of Woodies. 
They sit in the trees and around 2pm the sky just darkens as they all seem to take off at once for a fly around, this lasts around 30 mins and they are back in the trees again. Amazing to watch so many birds manoever together without collision lol. After about an hour of rest and just before dusk in the winter, they take off again, but this time descend on the nearby fields to forrage.
Ferals in town seem to do the same sort of thing around the same time, but not in anywhere as near the large numbers, and their starting points are certain rooftops where various flocks seem to merge & meet up.
I say certain rooftops, as evan has pointed out, they do like to sunbathe in the summer, but they are very selective & use the same roofs all the time.
I've noticed that in the winter when it snows, these roofs are the ones that melts first, so obviously there is very little insulation so heat is escaping and those roofs are warmer both summer & winter (who says pigeons are dumb lol)


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

The wood pigeons here live in the hills and other small pockets of native bush and generally only feed on berries and seeds that they pull off the plants.

It is interesting that the woodies in the uk feed in the fields. 

My opinion on our seacliff pigeons is that they have reverted back to the wild type specimen in most ways and could technically be categorized as a sub-spieces, however they are most likely descendants of racing homers that have found the cliffs to be a good home, these birds fly 10 - 40 miles a day to feed and water at the lake. It amazes me that the weanlings make this journey on their first big fly. I also believe that a lot of the birds in pine trees and such out by the lake and in the rural areas are either lost youngins that set up home or the "smart ones" from the cliffs that didn't want to fly so far, With what we know about


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Dont forget the roofs are probably black so that absorbs the suns heat so that is another reason the snow melts their first. Also during this time of year with the hawks out those wire are good vantage point to keep a bunch of eyes to the sky. Perched on the a roof would give them low visibility to the skies for predators.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

tjc1 - If the black roof is covered in white snow it would no longer absorb heat. It would have to be something coming through from underneath IMO. Unless the snow is thin in which case it would melt fast regardless.


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

The snow is melting from the heat escape and then the black absorbs the heat and melts the rest. I live in the northeast where we get tons of snow. Once a a black spot shows it warms the surrounding area.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

Our ferals behave the same here in Vancouver, Canada, do a fly by before feeding (I feed them everyday, for the last 4 years). They also like the power lines (I guess since there is electricity flowing through them, they keep their feet warm on them and like the feeling. Our flock also sit and sun on a "black" shingled roof, that seems to hold the heat winter or summer. By the way, while I was feeding my ferals and man and his wife thought it was so neat that someone buys feed and cares for them that he insisted on leaving me money which he would not take back, and told me he would like to contribute to the cost of the feed I buy. Isn't it wonderful to know that some people do love feral pigeons too, and agree with caring for them, especially in cold winter months?? lol


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## whitetail (Apr 17, 2008)

Hi Spiritflys,

How beautiful that those people wanted to contribute to the care of wild pigeons!
My brother lives in Vancouver and I think he told me that he hardly ever sees feral pigeons around; I thought, how sad, I don't think I could live in a city that didn't have feral pigeons.
Well, I'm glad they are around and that someone is caring for them, thanks


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## longlive_pigeon (Aug 17, 2012)

spiritflys said:


> Our ferals behave the same here in Vancouver, Canada, do a fly by before feeding (I feed them everyday, for the last 4 years). They also like the power lines (I guess since there is electricity flowing through them, they keep their feet warm on them and like the feeling. Our flock also sit and sun on a "black" shingled roof, that seems to hold the heat winter or summer. By the way, while I was feeding my ferals and man and his wife thought it was so neat that someone buys feed and cares for them that he insisted on leaving me money which he would not take back, and told me he would like to contribute to the cost of the feed I buy. Isn't it wonderful to know that some people do love feral pigeons too, and agree with caring for them, especially in cold winter months?? lol


Yes, I have also come across these kind people for several times. People's attitude towards the pigeons are really polarized. Of course there are people like us who devote to feeding the poor wild birds, and some that deeply resent pigeons. Also there is the silence majority. Here in Hong Kong feeding pigeon is banned and may cost you HK$1500 fixed penalty. Nevertheless, due to this ban people admire our determination to feed the birds at the risk of contravening the law. I have come across people several times who said that, " This is great for you to give sth for the birds to eat. I don't have the courage to do so, but I do admire you. Can I contribute sth to support?" It is not the money that encourages you to continue, but the moral support that proves that not the whole world is against you. At least there are still people like them who recognize what we do secretly.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

Whitetail: Thanks and yes, it is nice that some people do like pigeons. They also know me in this area as the lady that looks after the geese on the pond, and when I spot one that is injured I get my friend, "the goose lady," to come with me, and we capture it and take it to the vet. I just took in a mallard that had a leg injury, and also after x-ray, it was discovered that he had been also shot in the chest, right to the bone, by a led pellet gun. So, slowly, I win them over. Actually, here in Vancouver, we have a good population of pigeons in the down town area, by the Hudson Bay Store, and also on Granville Street and of course, all through the east end of the City. And our ferals are very tame in most areas as people like to toss them a snack. It is wonderful how tame they are here. When I lived in Saskatchewan, Canada, you never saw the ferals. They avoided humans like the dickens and were often poisoned off. You would see them falling off the City Hall Building onto the sidewalks. They had such a hard life there, and the winters were so hard on them, often (40 below in the 1960's and 1970's, before global warming.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

There can never be too many Pigeon Friend People in the world, thanks for helping them out. As Whitetail says, people's emotions about them run the gamut (most negative ones coming from misinformation or lack of information) so it is always good when the flock can find a friend.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, too


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

Thanks, Jaye.


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## whitetail (Apr 17, 2008)

Hi Spiritflys,

I'm so happy that there are so many pigeons in Vancouver and that they seem happy there I remember my brother telling me that there were lot's of crows but not pigeons, well, this is good news.


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