THE FEEDING HABITS OF THE WOODPIGEON COLUMBA PALUMBUS, STOCK DOVE C. OENAS AND TURTLE DOVE STREPTOPELIA TURTUR

Abstract

Summary The feeding‐sites of Woodpigeon, Stock Dove and Turtle Dove were examined in a study area in Cambridgeshire by making repeated standardized observations over five years. The crop contents of 614 Woodpigeons and 166 Stock Doves shot throughout the period were analysed to determine the birds' diet. Seasonal variations are detailed. The crop contents of 41 Turtle Doves, and the nestlings of 14 Stock Doves and 5 Turtle Doves were also analysed. During the winter, Woodpigeons fed primarily on clover leaves which they collected from leys and pastures, but also on weed leaves and, during periods of snow, those of various cultivated brassicae. Grain was taken from the spring cereal sowings, after which the birds reverted to clover feeding, supplementing this diet with tree leaf and flower buds. When cereals ripened these comprised the main food being collected from July to November, at first from standing crops and then from stubbles. Wheat was preferred to barley. In the autumn, beech nuts, acorns and other tree fruits were taken and when stocks of these and the cereals were exhausted the birds turned again to clover feeding. Weed seeds, especially pasture species, were collected especially in May and June but only in small amounts. Stock Doves fed primarily on weed seeds throughout the year, obtaining these from fallow ground, ploughed fields and cereal stubbles. Cereal seed was taken when available, but featured less in its diet than that of the Woodpigeon. The most important weed seeds were Sinapsis and Brassica species, Stellaria media capsules and Polygonum and Chenapodium species. Leaves or tree buds and fruits were not an important food item. Turtle Doves fed primarily on the seeds of Fumaria and grass species, but they also collected cereal grains and Stellaria media capsules. They collected their food from waste ground or from tall, standing hay or corn crops, where many weeds were growing. They did not appear to feed from trees or hedgerows. The food of nestling Stock and Turtle Doves was similar to that collected by the adults for themselves. The feeding habits of the other British columbids is briefly reviewed. It appears that the Turtle Dove, Stock Dove and Woodpigeon, and also the feral pigeon and Collared Dove occupy different ecological niches, the first three associated with arable farmland. The Woodpigeon, Stock Dove and Turtle Dove have all increased in numbers and range following the development of agriculture. It is likely that the Rock Dove competes for food with the Stock Dove and possibly at times with the Woodpigeon, which probably explains the declining status of the Rock Dove in Britain. The distribution of the Turtle Dove in Britain is similar to the distribution of Fumitory, its major food plant.

A comparison of winter bird communities in agricultural grassland and cereal habitats in Ireland: implications for Common Agricultural Policy reform

“…The greater number of birds in the invertebratefeeding group in grassland is not surprising and this has been demonstrated in a number of other studies (Tucker 1992, Wilson et al 1996, Henderson et al 2004. In addition, similar results for pigeons can be plausibly explained by woodpigeon consumption of green plant material as part of its diet along with seeds (Murton et al 1964). However, it is surprising that the seed feeding species occurred in greater abundance on grassland sites although other habitats, particularly stubbles, can be important for these species in winter (Wilson et al 1996, Hancock & Wilson 2003, Gillings et al 2005), but were not surveyed in this study.…”

The decline of the Turtle Dove: Dietary associations with body condition and competition with other columbids analysed using high‐throughput sequencing

“…Seeds were collected in the field from 24 plant species, supplemented by seeds from nine species known to be commonly present within commercial seed mixes (Appendix ). We downloaded sequences from an additional 19 species from GenBank to ensure that all species previously recorded in turtle dove diet (Browne & Aebischer, ; Murton et al., ), as well as other plant species commonly found at our field sites, were included in the barcode library (Appendix ; Moorhouse‐Gann et al., ). We extracted DNA from all species using a standard salting‐out protocol (Randall, Sornay, Dewitte, & Murray, ) and confirmed in vitro that our new primers (UniPlantF [5′‐TGTGAATTGCARRATYCMG‐3′] and UniPlantR [5′‐CCCGHYTGAYYTGRGGTCDC‐3′]) amplified all our target species (Moorhouse‐Gann et al., ), with no nontarget amplicons.…”

Seasonal variation in the diet and food preference of the WoodpigeonColumba palumbusin Ireland

“…Early studies (Collinge 1924-27, Colquhoun 1951, Murton et al 1963, 1964, Murton 1965 highlighted that Woodpigeons have a wide and varied diet, feeding on the fruit and seeds of trees (e.g. seeds of Ivy Hedera helix) in winter and on cereal grains in summer and autumn.…”

“…This was used to calculate the average volume (± sd) of crop content. Percentage volume of food items in the diet was calculated such that comparisons could be made to the early studies of Colquhoun (1951), Murton et al (1963Murton et al ( , 1964 and Murton (1965). Plant and animal material were identified as near to species level as possible, using a number of different keys (Hayward 1987, Quigley & Madge 1988, Chinery 1993.…”

“…Columbiformes consume additional calciumrich material (e.g. snails) during their egg-laying period, as their normal food is often lacking in calcium needed for shell formation (Murton et al 1964, March & Sadlier 1972 …”