The synanthropic status of wild rock doves (<em>Columba livia</em>) and their contribution to feral pigeon populations

Wild rock doves still breed in suitable habitats along southern and insular Italy, even if their colonies are threatened by the genetic intrusion of feral pigeons. One of their prominent behaviours is the daily foraging flights from colonial to feeding grounds which involves coming into contact with man-made buildings. These are exploited firstly as roosting places near crop resources and later for nesting. This incipient synanthropy is not extended to direct food dependence on humans, by which they tend to remain independent. In the same way that ferals genetically intruded the wild colonies, in urban habitats, rock doves mix with ferals because of the large interbreeding possibilities. In the natural range of the wild species, this has occurred since the appearance of the feral form of pigeons and still continues with the residual populations of rock doves, representing their endless contribution to the feral populations, at least until the dissolution of the gene pool of the primordial form of wild rock dove.

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Dietary habits of urban pigeons (Columba livia) and implications of excreta pH – a review

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1515/eje-2017-0004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 27-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Dirk H. R. Spennemann ◽

Maggie J. Watson

Keyword(s):

Urban Space ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Columba Livia ◽

Feral Pigeon ◽

Area Of Interest ◽

Feral Pigeons ◽

Data Deficient ◽

Urban Pests ◽

And Control

AbstractPigeons are considered to be urban pests, causing untold damage to buildings and potentially impacting the health of humans who come into contact with them or their faeces. Pigeon faecal matter has been implicated in both health impacts and building damage, with the acidity of the excreta playing an important role. Purpose of the Review. This paper is a wide-ranging review of the chemical processes of excreta in the pigeon to aid our understanding of the potential problems of pigeons to buildings and human amenity in the urban space. The natural pH of pigeons is shown to vary based on the bird’s and age as well as reproductive stage. Key findings of the review. The influences of the altered diet between the rock dove (the wild progenitor of the feral pigeon) and the feral pigeon are detailed, indicating that the human-based diet of urban pigeons most likely causes the feral pigeon excreta to be more acidic than the rock dove excreta. This higher acidity is due in part to diet, but also to potential increases in faecal and/or uric acid volumes due to the low quality of human-based diets. Again, this area of interest is highly data deficient due to the few number of studies and unspecified dietary intake before pH measurement. Implications of the review. Humans are increasingly concerned about pigeon populations (and presumably their accumulated faeces) in the urban space, and control comprises a large part of the interaction between humans and feral pigeons. This review provides a greater understanding of feral pigeons and the true effects of their excreta.

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Feral pigeon populations: their gene pool and links with local domestic breeds

10.1101/2020.01.18.911198 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dimitri Giunchi ◽

Nadia Mucci ◽

Daniele Bigi ◽

Chiara Mengoni ◽

N. Emilio Baldaccini

Keyword(s):

Geographic Distance ◽

Columba Livia ◽

Genetic Components ◽

Feral Pigeons ◽

Feral Populations ◽

Present Distribution ◽

High Level ◽

Almost All ◽

Domestic Pigeons ◽

Pigeon Breeding

AbstractColumba livia is a wild bird whose domestication has led to a large number of pigeon breeds. The occasional loss or straying of domestic birds determined the origin of feral pigeons, which are now widespread all around the world. In this study, we assumed that the main contribution to feral populations is provided by domestic breeds reared in the same areas. We tested this hypothesis by analysing the variability of 12 microsatellite loci in nine Italian feral populations sampled in areas with different intensities of breeding and selecting domestic breeds. We included in the analysis samples belonging to domestic lineages commonly bred in Italy The pattern of geographic differentiation of feral populations turned out to be rather complex and only partially explained by the geographic distance between populations. This pattern can be understood only when the domestic breeds were included in the analysis. In particular, feral populations located in regions with a long-lasting tradition of pigeon breeding showed a high level of admixture with domestic breeds, in particular with Racing Homer and Piacentino. Ferals from Bolzano, Venice and Sassari were characterized by unique genetic components, almost all of which are not shared by other feral populations and by the considered domestic breeds. Our results further emphasize the complex origin of feral populations which can be properly investigated only by considering the pool of domestic pigeons bred in the considered area and their past and present distribution.

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Antimicrobial susceptibility and diarrheagenic diagnosis of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica isolated from feral pigeons (Columba livia) captured in Fortaleza, Brazil

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/1678-5150-pvb-5633 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (11) ◽

pp. 2150-2154 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ruben V. Horn ◽

Windleyanne G.A. Bezerra ◽

Elisângela S. Lopes ◽

Régis S.C. Teixeira ◽

Isaac N.G. Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Clavulanic Acid ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Salmonella Enterica ◽

Columba Livia ◽

Susceptibility Test ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test ◽

E Coli ◽

Feral Pigeons

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to isolate Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica from captured feral pigeons in Fortaleza, Brazil, and, in addition to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and diagnose diarrheagenic E. coli strains. Pigeons were captured in four public locations in Fortaleza with three techniques. Individual cloacal swab samples were collected and submitted to bacterial isolation, biochemical identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test. Disk diffusion technique was used with twelve antibiotics. E. coli strains were submitted to DNA extraction followed by PCR to diagnose five diarrheagenic pathotypes. A total of 124 birds were captured. One bird was positive for Salmonella enterica (0.81%) and 121 (97.58%) were positive for E. coli. Among these, 110 isolates were submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility test and 28.18% (31/110) presented resistance to at least one antibiotic. Resistance to azithromycin was the most frequent (21.82%), followed by tetracycline (10.91%) and sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim (8.9%). Multidrug resistance, calculated as a resistance to at least 3 antimicrobial classes, was identified in 3.64% (4/110) of strains. The maximum number of antimicrobial classes to which one strain was resistant was seven. Results demonstrated nine different resistance profiles and the most frequent was tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim (4 strains), followed by chloramphenicol, azithromycin, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim (3 strains). Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid and tobramycin presented lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance, to which none of the tested strains were resistant. A single strain was positive for the eltB gene, which is a diagnostic tool to identify the Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) pathotype. None of the other investigated genes (stx1, stx2, estA, eaeA, ipaH, aatA and aaiC) were identified. The single isolate of S. enterica was a rough strain of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, but serotype identification was not possible. However, this isolate presented resistance to amoxicillin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim. Therefore, captured feral pigeons of Fortaleza presented a low prevalence of S. enterica and diarrheagenic E. coli. Considering the investigated pathogens, our results suggest a good health status and a low public health risk. However, important antimicrobial resistance profiles were identified.

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Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis captures and drowns a Feral Pigeon Columba livia

Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia ◽

10.4081/rio.2016.313 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

pp. 69 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandro Canestrelli ◽

Fulvio Fraticelli

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Ability ◽

Columba Livia ◽

Feral Pigeon ◽

New Techniques ◽

Small Lake ◽

Innovative Methods ◽

Larus Michahellis

A Yellow-legged Gull catching a Feral Pigeon, flies to a nearby small lake and kills him drowning. This behaviour can be explained or with higher cognitive ability, related with the use of innovative methods, or with a generalist behaviour that offers the opportunity to use new techniques.

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