My Feral pigeon, Mask
In powder-pools of sunlight,
Small blue busybodies
Strutting like fat gentlemen
With hands clasped
Under their swallowtail coats;
And, as they stump about,
Their heads like tiny hammers
Tap at imaginary nails
In non-existent walls.
Elusive ghosts of sunshine
Slither down the green gloss
Of their necks in an instant, and are gone.
-- Richard Kell
Feral Pigeons are an integral part of our lives. They are derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. Seeing that the domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, it's a natural progression that they would return to the wild.
Current evidence suggests that wild, domestic and feral pigeons mate for life, although their long-term bonds are not unbreakable. They are socially monogamous, but extra-pair matings do occur, often initiated by males. When Mask's mate disappeared, he waited and mourned for about a month, but then took fancy to Pinky and they soon became inseparable.
Abandoned buildings are favourite nesting areas. Mass nesting is common as pigeons are a community flocking bird; often, dozens of birds share a building. Loose tiles and broken windows provide access, and pigeons are adept at spotting new access points, for example following property damage caused by strong winds. Pigeons breed when the food supply is abundant enough to support embryonic egg development, which in cities can be any time of the year. Laying of eggs can take place up to six times per year, causing major population explosions in big cities.
