Super doves or winged rats?

We may be more used to seeing pesky seagulls roaming around the city centre than pigeons but one student wants us on the lookout for these feathery friends. 

Studying on Cornwall Campus, Zoology student Adam Rogers has appeared on BBC’s Winterwatch with a plea for his plumage project.

Pigeons, a once domesticated bird, should adapt and regain their natural dull colours when they become feral. However, urban pigeons have somehow retained their bright and varied plumage and Adam wants to know why.

Unlike most, Adam sees pigeons as ‘super doves’ rather than winged rats and wants us to count the number of pigeons we see with different patterned plumage.

He hopes to chart the different varieties as shown on the Feral Pigeon Project website and asks us to contact him on there with any findings.

So next time you’re up in town, preferably not on a TP Wednesday, check out some birds and do your bit for our feathered friends.