well stewart i cant think of anything except trichomoniasis that rock
pigeons, specifically, carry - and since band tailed pigeons and rock
pigeons dont really use the same habitat, and where they do, the rural
rock pigeon is much less likely to carry trich, which spreads among
crowded populations.

unlike the european house sparrow, and the european starling, the rock
pigeon doesn't exactly take over habitat of native birds - more like
they adapt well in disturbed areas - such as cities - in fact, if you
really want to get a fight going suggest to the anti non-native crowd
that the rock pigeon is native to cities (show me one without them)

the band-tailed pigeon is a forest bird - certainly we can look around
and see that the threat to them, although great and probably
insurmountable, isnt the already much maligned rock pigeon.


take care

monte merrick
lummi island washington
montemerrick at speakeasy.net
On 28 Mar 2007, , at 21:19, Stewart Wechsler wrote:

> Though I haven't kept close tabs on the Band-tail numbers at Carkeek,
> I've
> seen them there before and consider Carkeek to be among the best
> remaining
> Band-tail habitat in the city. Though not in the numbers of former
> years,
> they can be expected in any of the larger pieces of woodland in the
> city
> with relatively mature second growth and in the 3 parks with some
> remenant
> old growth trees. More connected forest or pieces of forest strung
> together
> between relatively short flight paths is another thing to look for in
> Band-tailed habitat. I still want to know just what types of nest
> sites
> they prefer and how much this is a limiting factor in their
> population. I
> would also wonder if Rock Pigeons carry any pathogens that end up
> harming
> Band-tails.
>
> Stewart Wechsler
> Ecological Consulting
> West Seattle
> 206 932-7225
> ecostewart at quidnunc.net
>
> -Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
> and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
> of plants and animals
> -Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
> -Botanical Surveys
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Josh Hayes [mailto:josh at blarg.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 2:38 PM
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: [Tweeters] Band-tailed pigeons in Carkeek
>
>
> I saw a smallish flock of about eight birds clustered together in an
> alder
> tree a bit inland from the bluff, above the "model airplane field".
> I've
> never seen them in Carkeek before. Is this unusual?
>
> There's also a raucous flock of about a hundred pine siskins rioting
> about
> along the South Bluff trail. Been in the same spot the last two times
> I've
> walked that trail last week and today. Good to see the population
> doing so
> well.
>
> -Josh Hayes, josh at blarg dot net
>
>
>
> --
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