I agree with what others have said about the resourcefulness of Band-tailed
Pigeons, which (although only pigeons.....) are surprisingly versatile when
it comes to food-getting. Last winter, when up to 50 came into our yard,
they would clean up a big open feeder filled with seeds in a matter of
minutes. When you're not home all day it is frustrating to think that
there'll be nothing left for the other birds, so I put wire around another
similar feeder. Even then, they try to hang on that feeder and flutter
while poking their heads through the wire, but they don't last long, and
plenty of seeds remain.

But now a pair of Rock Doves comes in from time to time, and, although
smaller, they will bop every Band-tail off the feeder one at a time. The
country hicks don't stand a chance against the city slickers, and I can't
help anthropomorphizing about how humanlike are the species that will
remain with us into the future. The Rock Doves also squeeze in between the
wires that keep the other pigeons off the other feeder. They're adapted to
tight squeezes in their nesting sites.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416