Features of wild pigeons
Wild pigeons are feathered, which are appreciated by hunters for tender dietary meat. These birds are extremely hardy, because it was not for nothing that they used pigeon mail before.
Wild pigeons
Wild pigeons are considered a symbol of peace. These birds were tamed about 5000 years ago. There are several breeds of wild pigeons that are worth considering in more detail (their name, lifestyle, etc.).
Large breed
Vyakhir is one of the largest representatives of the pigeon family. A large pigeon lives in European countries. This breed is also called Vituten. In the wild, these individuals settle in the forest belt. A wild forest pigeon has a body length of 40 cm, a tail about 15 cm, and its average weight is 600 g.
This breed is distinguished by an excellent gray-gray feather with brown intersperses in the region of the spine. The chest and neck are covered with red-gray feathers. The beak is pink. The turtledove has a similar color. Often representatives of the species can be found on the territory of countries such as Turkey, Iran, Iraq, the Himalayas, Moldova, Transcaucasia.
Photos of these pigeons are simply mesmerizing with their beauty. Families of pigeons look especially cute. They incubate and nurture the offspring together. Initially, chicks eat a special food that is produced in adult birds and is called bird's milk. As they grow up, the chicks switch to plant food. There is plenty of food in the forest thicket.
In the wild, there is always a danger of being caught by a marten, fox or other predator, so animals have to be very careful. This bird is also a very valuable specimen among hunters. Most of all, in untamed pigeons, tender meat is valued.
Blue-winged bird breeds
The color of the plumage of this representative determined its name. A gray-winged wild pigeon has more elongated wings than a turtledove, but their feathers are of the same color. This species is not very large in comparison with Vyakhir.
In the wild, mostly hilly areas are selected for housing, although they are occasionally found in forests, in rare cases - even in forest parks in Russia. The birds' diet consists of cereals and seeds. In cities, feeders are often hung for them in parks and at schools. In the photo, the birds look just incomparable.
Steppe breed
Turtle Dove is one of the finest breeds of pigeons. In their natural environment, they are found in the steppe area and forest belt of Ukraine, Moldova, in the southern part of Europe. The mass of the turtle dove is about 200 g, and the body length is a maximum of 27 cm. Within the species, 18 varieties are distinguished. The most common:
- laughing dove;
- ringed;
- Chinese spotted;
- African.
The laughing pigeon has earned its name for its voice reminiscent of human laughter. The shade of the feathers of this feathery is light fawn, on the outside of the neck there is a dark semicircle. Habitat - the African continent and the southwestern part of Asia.
For the ringed turtle dove, a characteristic nesting place is part of Russia bordering on Europe, the southwestern zone of Europe and partly Africa. The color of the feathers is gray-brown on the back with a pink color on the neck and in the chest area. There is a white semicircle on the neck. The Chinese spotted dove at first lived only in Asia, but after that it was transported to the Australian and American continents.
It is distinguished by a light brown shade of feathers all over the body and a gray head. Around the eye sockets there are red circles, and on the neck there is a black with a white collar. The question is often asked about how long these birds live. At home, if you tame a turtledove and create all the necessary conditions, its age can reach 15 years, and in the wild, life expectancy is only 6 years.
Ventsenos
Crowned pigeons live in New Guinea. A hot, humid climate is chosen for habitation. They are a rare species due to uncontrolled hunting. They got their name for the crest, which is loose on the bird's head in a translucent blue fan.
The wide, long tail is slightly rounded. The color of the plumage is blue. The bird resembles a small turkey in size, its weight is 1.5-2 kg, its length is 70 cm. During the breeding season, the female lays one egg, which she and the male incubate in turn for 30 days.
Forest species
The forest gray representative of the species was first seen on the territory of Indonesia. The area is mangrove forests. Nesting occurs in March-April. Birds arrange nests in trees. They can boast of silvery gray feathers. The wings are edged with a black border, on the back on the neck of a feather in greenish tones.
The rocky pigeon is quite similar in appearance to the blue-winged representative of the genus. It is distinguished by a lighter tone of tail plumage and a darker beak. Representatives of the species are much smaller than other fellows. They live in the mountainous regions of Tibet, Korea, Altai. Most often they settle in twos in the gorges of rocks or at abandoned construction sites. The white-breasted pigeon is similar in appearance to the rocky representative of the species. It differs only in lighter tones in the color of the feathers.
Klintukh
The wild pigeon Klintukh comes across mostly in the forest regions of Kazakhstan, in the Chinese forests, Turkish forests, in Africa and even in Siberia. Pigeons are distinguished by bright plumage, giving off a blue, turning into a malachite shade on the neck, gray feathers on the wings, and a tail with dark stripes.
If you compare photos of wild pigeons of different species, you will notice that the size of Klintukh is not as large as Vyakhir, but larger than Gorlitsa.
The description of various pigeon breeds can be read for a very long time, but even more I want to admire these birds, their grace. Each species is interesting and beautiful in its own way.
Features of behavior and diet
Wild pigeons in the wild are incredibly attentive. The birds behave extremely cautiously during the period of laying and incubating eggs. Seeing or hearing any animal, they immediately calm down and disguise themselves in the foliage of trees. Most often they settle in zones with moderate climatic conditions. Based on these characteristics, they can lead a different lifestyle:
- nomadic;
- partly nomadic;
- settled.
Often, sedentary birds are found in the southern regions of the states, migratory - in areas with a more severe climate. The diet includes cereals, cone seeds, acorns. Often, wild flocks of pigeons fly into the fields with cereals and carry the tops of the plants. They also like to fly to freshly harvested fields with enough feed.
Most often birds arrange a nest right in the frequent branches of large trees. They can occupy the empty nest of another bird, for example, jays. The pigeon arranges the nesting place carelessly. The female often lays 2 eggs. As a rule, during the summer season, a family of pigeons reproduces offspring 2 times. The untamed pigeon is considered a bird of the field, although it nests most often in trees.
Pigeon hunt
In general, pigeon hunting is a rather interesting activity, which is one of the sports. They hunt on birds in harvested fields using the stealth method, when you need to keep all your senses in suspense and calculate even the smallest steps, because any sound will frighten off the prey. It is necessary to crawl to the feeding pigeons. The ideal option is to start hunting in the early morning.
It was at this time that hunger is so strong that the bird is ready to let the enemy come as close as possible. Often hunting is carried out in oak forests, because, in addition to cereals, birds have a great weakness for acorns. As a rule, flocks of pigeons choose the same fattening places, so it is not difficult to track them down. The main thing in this hunt is to disguise well.
As a rule, the best game comes before departure. By this time, the bird becomes fat and heavy, its plumage is shiny and velvety. At such a time, to shoot a pigeon is a pride for a hunter.
But not all pigeons can be eaten. For example, you can't eat pigeons that live on city streets: it's so easy to get poisoned.
What to cook from a pigeon carcass
Often, pigeons are kept at home for the sake of obtaining an exquisite delicacy. Large pigeon meat is an extremely valuable dish in France. The meat is sweetish on the palate, very rich in proteins and vitamins. It is used to prevent and treat anemia.
The domestic pigeon must be properly gutted and carefully examined before cooking. If the goiter is black, the carcass should be disposed of immediately.
Before preparing any dish, the meat is soaked in water or kefir to soften it. The most common cooking method is baking. Pigeon carcasses are served with various sauces, garnishes of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms.
There are a lot of methods for preparing poultry. If you do not know how to prepare a house pigeon, you can use the internet.
Why is it not recommended to eat street birds?
Very often people ask the question whether it is possible to eat wild birds, in particular, pigeons. Doctors answer him negatively. If you really want to taste delicious meat, it is better to purchase it from a specialized farm, where pigeons are bred specifically for food and for sale. There, the birds eat a balanced, wholesome food. If you buy in the market from an unverified seller, you can get poisoned with carcass meat.
Why is the meat of street pigeons so harmful? The more harmful the food that birds eat, the sooner they start to get sick and the shorter their life. In urban conditions, pigeons feed mainly on slops and live for 3 years, while in a private farm, the life expectancy of birds is 15 years.