The use of a bow-net trap, though expensive, is necessary for this study. A bow net works by luring birds into an area then quickly snapping a net on top of them. This is the safest and most efficient way to trap wild rock doves and it will allow for the monitoring of birds caught to ensure no native (protected) birds are caught by accident. See one in action!

The majority of the rest of the equipment is safety and precautionary equipment. Some of it, like the animal carrier and food and water dishes are for the long-term (longer than 1hr) holding of sick, injured or domestic birds. Signs and flagging are to keep the public from disturbing the experimental set-up and possibly harming themselves or captured birds (I don't know how this would happen, but I like to be careful).

Bait and calipers are integral parts of the study's procedure while other costs are un-avoidable for this type of work.

Additional Information

Summary:

Rock doves are evolutionarily fascinating animals, having diverged into twelve subspecies in the wild and show many diverse phenotypes in captivity. Understanding how rock doves adapt to different environments will not only tell us how birds as a whole are able to survive in a changing world but also give us insight into the incredible yet all too often overlooked bird perching on our window sills.

Collection site map as of May 17th:

1, Freeport Maine

2, Boston Massachusetts

3, Brooklyn New York*

4, Cape May New Jersey*

5, Washington D.C*

6-7, Charleston, South Carolina

8, Marathon key, Florida*

Starred locations are those that are still pending approval (permits/permissions) however, these sites will most likely be approved soon.

Works Cited

(6)Andrén, Henrik, and Henrik Andren. “Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Birds and Mammals in Landscapes with Different Proportions of Suitable Habitat: A Review.” Oikos, vol. 71, no. 3, 1994, p. 355., doi:10.2307/3545823.

(4) Blechman, Andrew D. Pigeons: the Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. University of Queensland Press, 2007.

(7) DARWIN, CHARLES. ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. ALMA CLASSICS, 2019.

(2) Gibbs, David, and Eustace Barnes. Pigeons and Doves: a Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica, 2001.

(4) Irving-Pease, Evan K., et al. “Paleogenomics of Animal Domestication.” Population Genomics Paleogenomics, 2018, pp. 225–272., doi:10.1007/13836_2018_55.

(1) “Rock Doves.” Columba Livia (Common Pigeon, Rock Dove, Rock Dove, Rock Dove), oldredlist.iucnredlist.org/details/22690066/0.

(5)Schorger, A. W. “Introduction of the Domestic Pigeon.” The Auk, vol. 69, no. 4, 1952, pp. 462–463., doi:10.2307/4081033.

(3) Stringham, Sydney A., et al. “Divergence, Convergence, and the Ancestry of Feral Populations in the Domestic Rock Pigeon.” Current Biology, vol. 22, no. 4, 2012, pp. 302–308., doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.045.