Il Wood pigeon belongs to the order Columbiformes, family Columbidae; it is distinguished from the congenital species by its size and, in flight, by the more elongated and evident tail and neck. The Wood pigeon it is the most voluminous among representatives of this family, with a body length between 38 and 43 cm (68-77 cm of wingspan) and a weight that varies between 400 and 580 grams. The color of the plumage is similar in both sexes: bluish-gray with the lower parts tinged with a burgundy color. On the sides of the neck two small but evident white spots stand out (but absent in the young), bordering on feathers with metallic and purple green reflections. On the gray wings, two characteristic white bands stand out, especially in flight, while a thick dark band is visible at the apex of the tail. The beak, with a membranous swelling called “cera”, is pink at the base and yellowish at the tip. The Wood pigeon, like all the other Columbidae, it drinks in an unusual way: it plunges its beak in water and sucks without having to lift the head to swallow, as all the other birds do. Like the other members of the family, the Wood pigeon it is strictly monogamous and, at the beginning of the spring season, the male begins the rituals related to reproduction.
COLOMBACCIO: Habitat and distribution range
The nest of the Wood pigeon it is not very elaborate and is built with intertwined branches; it is usually placed on trees, occasionally even on buildings. The preferential habitat of the Wood pigeon it is made up of both broad-leaved and coniferous woods, but it also frequents the city, where it nests in parks and urban green areas. It feeds on the ground, especially vegetables, but occasionally does not disdain small invertebrates; a certain amount of the food eaten is stored in the goiter and used during the night. When in alarm, the Wood pigeon it takes off suddenly and noisily from the trees on which it rests. In winter it is often encountered wandering in large flocks; it often mixes with the similar Piccione and Colombella. In Europe it nests in all regions, with the exception of those of the far north. In the countries of north-eastern Europe, the species is clearly migratory, with autumn movements in a south-west direction (which gradually decrease towards the south and west) and almost resident populations further south. The limits of the European wintering area coincide with the January 0 ° C isotherm (Fornasari et al., 1992). In Italy the Wood pigeon it is a regular migrant and a discontinuous breeder throughout the territory; any gaps in distribution could however be due to research defects (Meschini & Frugis, 1993). During the winter large contingents of Wood pigeons coming from Northern Europe they come to our peninsula and here they spend the bad season, mainly frequenting the open areas.
COLOMBACCIO: Population size and trend
The European populations of Wood pigeons between 8 and 15 million couples have been estimated; the highest densities are concentrated in the Nordic countries, especially in Fennoscandia (about 750-1.700.000 pairs). Over 75% of the world population is concentrated in Europe (Tucker & Heath, 1994). In Italy about 10-20.000 pairs nest and the populations (especially those of the north-western regions) appear to be significantly increasing (Meschini & Frugis, 1993).
COLOMBACCIO: Conservation and management
Il Wood pigeon it is not considered threatened and is not protected. In Great Britain, in the 50s, an attempt was made to reduce the number of local populations through a massive hunting activity (autumn-early winter), which failed because, with the culling, the competition between individuals for food also decreased. and the consequent mortality (Fornasari et al., 1992) Wood pigeons it is maximum during the cold season (especially in January), due to the reduced availability of food. It seems that the favorable status of the populations is generally attributable to the increase in annual average temperatures, which increase their diffusion; in Lombardy the factor of the considerable trophic availability of cereals probably also intervenes (Vigorita et al., 2003a).
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