What's up with this Woodpigeon?

[rjmartinuk]

Saw this in my garden a couple of days ago - I just wondered why it is this funny colour in places?



Many Thanks for any answers in advance!

[werdnal]

Are you seriously thinking this is a woodpigeon?

Its a domestic "fancy" pigeon, either used for racing or kept as a pet or for showing competitions. Could have been lost from a local keeper or got lost on a race and gone feral.

Pretty bird - wouldn't mind adding that one to our collection of pet pigeons!

[Jason Green]

Evening RJMartin, and welcome to WAB!

Quite right, a Woodpigeon - far too thick-set and short-legged to be a Feral/Town Pigeon. It looks to be partially leucistic to explain the white markings, though I haven't seen it in a WP before.

Take care,

Jason

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Evening RJMartin, and welcome to WAB!

Quite right, a Woodpigeon - far too thick-set and short-legged to be a Feral/Town Pigeon. It looks to be partially leucistic to explain the white markings, though I haven't seen it in a WP before.

Take care,

Jason

I'm sorry Jason it isn't a Wood Pigeon; it is a domestic/ feral form of Rock Dove. There's nothing about it that even suggests Wood Pigeon to me.

[davecatt]

Or possibly a feral x Wood pigeon?

[htcdude]

Just a fat feral I think, looks like it ate well over Christmas

Feral's will come in different colours, I saw a lime green one once

Nige

[~T~]

Originally Posted by davecatt

Or possibly a feral x Wood pigeon?

I don't think two can cross though I have heard ferals and ring necked doves can cross (though not collard doves I don't think). The bird in the picture looks like a domestic pigeon to me, some of the fancier varieties can be quite large.

[rjmartinuk]

I have to be honest I thought it was a wood pigeon as well - the overall size suggested it couldn't be a feral.

I am happy to upload a few more pics and a video if necessary!

Thanks, Rob

[Jason Green]

Still a woody for me! I must say, I'm not terribly certain about the length of the tail feathering/flight-feather reach, but the head is bang-on in my opinion - the big, beady eye and slightly down-curved bill. The white neck-slash wouldn't show against the rest of the leucism, but if you look closely the blue-grey shows on the wings/back, and a lighter grey below. The steeper-fronted forehead is evident I believe.

Edited close-up

Additional photographs would be great, and I stand to be corrected.

[~T~]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Additional photographs would be great, and I stand to be corrected.

Maybe not