2022
Fotoperiode en dagritme van Houtduiven Columba palumbus
Publication
Publication
Photoperiod and daily rhythm in Woodpigeons Columba palumbus
A 100 ha plot in woodland in West-Drenthe systematically surveyed in 2022 contained 5 Woodpigeon pairs that produced 14 clutches between 6 May and 8 September (first and last start of laying), including 5 first layings (3x 0, 2x2 fledglings), 6 repeat layings (2x 0, 1x 1, 2x 2 fledglings) and 4 second clutches (1x 0, 3x 2 fledglings). Failures occurred in the egg stage (3x) and chick stage (4x). Laying peaked in late summer, as did nest success. This was reflected in peaks in singing and nest-calling (July-August), and in the frequency of foraging flights. Foraging was focused on cereals, for which the pigeons had to fly 2.0-3.5 km from the nest sites. Cereal crops have become scarce in present-day farming on sandy soils (largely replaced by maize, industrial grassland and – in Drenthe at least – lilies). Furthermore, harvesting has become highly efficient and very few grains are lost during the process. The short peak of foraging Woodpigeons on stubble in late summer suggests quick depletion of spill-over grain, exacerbated by land cultivation in late September. Despite the changes in land use and the scarcity of cereals, Woodpigeons still show a late summer peak in breeding, similar to the pigeon’s heyday in the mid-20th century up to and including the 1970s when cereals were still widely available (and crops of pigeons shot in late summer mostly contained grains). However, Woodpigeon numbers have dropped considerably, the species now being scarce in woodland on sandy soils (more than decimated compared to surveys in the 1970s and 1980s) and, after an initial boom in the late 20th and early 21st century, are declining in towns and villages.
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Drentse vogels | |
CC BY 3.0 NL ("Naamsvermelding") | |
Organisation | Werkgroep Avifauna Drenthe |
R.G. Bijlsma. (2022). Fotoperiode en dagritme van Houtduiven Columba palumbus. Drentse vogels. |