Young pigeons...seen any?

[eugene molloy]

Last Tuesday I shot eight woodies whilst roosting; one was apparently very young, not more than a couple of months. On Saturday (pheasant shooting) my chum shot another one about the same age.

 

So out of nine birds we've got two (lets call it 20%) who must have been born in early / mid November.

 

Has anyone else noticed this what looks to me like an unusually high proportion

of "teenagers" for this time of year?

 

Also, who's got a proper technique for estimating the age of woodies?

 

Regards

Eug

[coney]

EUG,

yes mate ive noticed a few this year, i had noticed a pair at work who nested in December and had two successful chicks!!.

 

As for age juveniles have a duller less clean look to there plumage no clean deep pink breast feathers, they also do not have the white neck band, and the white patch across the midwing does not usually go all the way across. Once they have moulted their juvenile feathers it can be difficult to tell there age, i tend to ask a friend of mine who does a lot of bird ringing, hope this helps.

 

Regards Coney

[henry d]

Pigeons here in central Scotland are doing what comes naturally,I even had one cooing in the trees at about 6a.m. under the last full moon !

[mallinson]

Out of the pigeons i've shot over the past few days, i would say a couple of them were young birds, although they did have the white rings around the neck they were just physically smaller in size?

 

I think with the seasons as they are the nesting cycle's are changing, if you know what i mean

[Ozo]

mallinson ive been told that smaller pigeons are 1s that come over from mainland europe, thats why n.ireland hasnt had many pigeons l8ly due to its not been harsh enough weather on the mainland to drive them over as far as us.