On the formation of the urban population of the Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus L.) in the city of Oryol
Authors:   Information and Analytical Centre for Protected Areas Support, Lykov Egor L. , Sviridov Denis A. ,   Environmental Supervision and Natural Resource Management Board of the Department of Supervision and Control Activities of the Oryol Region
Published: October 2024

To date, the Woodpigeon has formed specialized urban populations in many European cities and towns. A steady trend towards synanthropization is also observed for this species in some Russian urban areas. In the city of Oryol, no dedicated studies of the local urban Woodpigeon population have been carried out until recently. This paper aims to evaluate the status of the urban Woodpigeon population in Oryol. The field observations were made in the city of Oryol (52°58′ N, 36°05′ E) located in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation and having an area of 121.2 km2 , with a population of 303.7 thousand and distance from Moscow of 368 km. The studies began in 2006, at the moment when the urban population of the Woodpigeon started to form within the Oryol administrative borders, and ended in 2021. In June 2019 and July 2021, counts of singing individuals and nest search activities were carried out in forest and recreational parks, squares, cemeteries, on specially selected plots among individual houses, and in green residential areas with predominantly five-storied apartment buildings. In total, 26 census plots with an aggregate area of about 228.9 ha were surveyed. Associated observations were also made, including Woodpigeon nest search in all administrative districts of the city. The degree of introduction of the Woodpigeon into the Oryol urban landscapes was evaluated by the use of five synanthropization stages (from 0 to 4). The paper shows that the urban population of the Woodpigeon in Oryol, as it was the case in other European urban areas, started from the birds which began to nest at the urban periphery, in less transformed habitats, and is dated back to 2006. Afterwards the birds were reported breeding in the built-up part of the city, including the city center, with the first breeding case in the built-up part reported in 2016. The number of nests found in the built-up part of the city grew in the following years. Now the birds nest across the entire city, including its central part, where their nests are found both along highways with intense traffic and in yards in residential areas with predominantly fivestoried apartment buildings. The species is registered as breeding in forest and recreational parks, cemeteries, among individual houses and in green residential areas. The average population density in the said habitats ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 pairs/10 ha, with the average for the entire city being 0.8 pairs/10 ha. The highest population density is registered in cemeteries (1.5 pairs/10 ha) and forest parks (1.1 pairs/10 ha). The population density in green residential areas with predominantly five-storied apartment buildings is 0.9 pairs/10 ha (see Table 1). In general, the Woodpigeon population in Oryol is much smaller than in many other urban areas in Europe and in Northwest Africa (see Table 2), which is attributed to the longer history of urban populations there. All nests found were located on trees and bushes, with none found on man-made structures. The high numbers of the Hooded Crow are among the factors hindering colonization of urban habitats by the Woodpigeon in European cities and towns. At the same time, the Hooded Crow is an uncommon breeder in Oryol. The Magpie, another nest predator, is a rather common breeder in the city: its breeding density was 2.2 nests/10 ha in green residential areas and 1.5 nests/10 ha among individual houses. Urban-breeding Woodpigeon aggregations generally make long-distance foraging movements to nearby farmlands where the birds obtain additional food. The agroclimatic conditions of Orlovsky District, which surrounds the city, are characterized as the most attractive for crop cultivation. Thus, the low numbers of the Hooded Crow and presence of large areas occupied by grain crops around the city make up favorable conditions for the establishment of an urban population of the Woodpigeon in Oryol. The urban Woodpigeon population in Oryol is at the stage 3 – breeding in urban parks in a high density and regular breeding in residential areas (on residential streets). The population under study has not yet reached the synanthropization stage 4, when the species breeds in a high density in urban parks and residential areas, with individual pairs transitioning to breeding on man-made structures.