# Feral doves used to feed Oenpelli Pythons.



## GBWhite (Feb 20, 2016)

Given that rodents can at times prove difficult to obtain there could be an extended market for these doves within the hobby.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-...-top-end-python/7183102#.VsazrUB9rNM.facebook

George


----------



## BrownHash (Feb 20, 2016)

Interesting, although those doves aren't feral. They are Spotted Doves which are native Australian doves. They would've likely been introduced to Alice as it isn't part of their natural distribution.


----------



## GBWhite (Feb 20, 2016)

BrownHash said:


> Interesting, although those doves aren't feral. They are Spotted Doves which are native Australian doves. They would've likely been introduced to Alice as it isn't part of their natural distribution.



From what this indicates they are native to Asia and were introduced to Australia in the 1800's.

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Streptopelia-chinensis


----------



## BrownHash (Feb 20, 2016)

Thanks, I stand corrected. 

I believe I've hit todays quota for learning something new each day.


----------



## mikey_mike (Feb 20, 2016)

Excellent article - thanks.
they're feral spotted turtle doves. Asian imports. They became established in Alice relatively recently & presumably compete with the native crested pigeons & possible even the spinifex pigeons. Parks & Wildlife had an attempt at eradication & got close but a few landholders who have a soft spot for ferals wouldn't allow the shooting team onto their properties. Sadly parks & wildlife got close but then abandoned the effort & now theyre probably the most abundant pigeon in Alice.
A bunch of locals trap the turtle doves & take them to the Wildlife Park to feed to their raptors.

I've got two turtle doves in my freezer at the moment. Both are smaller than the first one I fed to my albino carpet python (which caused me great distress - see Help oversized prey item). I'm taking the advice of the respondents to that post & freezing them to reduce parasite burden. It's a win win situation for me. Fewer ferals, fewer rats being bred for food & one happy snake.


----------



## Bluetongue1 (Feb 20, 2016)

mikey_mike said:


> .... They became established in Alice relatively recently & presumably compete with the native crested pigeons & possible even the spinifex pigeons. ....


 I don’t think you have to worry about it competing with native pigeons in natural habitat. They are very much dependent on human disturbance for the weed seeds and bread etc they consume. The last line of the article referenced by George states: “The species has not spread far from urban areas, probably because of a lack of suitable food.”

Just out of interest... Where I live in Perth, it was new area just opened up when built some twenty five years ago. Senegal Doves (another exotic) were common and the Spotted (Chinese) Turtledove wasn’t to be seen. As the surrounding area developed we began to get Spotted Doves (about 10 years ago I think). The two species co-existed for a while but the Spotteds were openly aggressive towards the Senegals. Have not seen a Senegal in more than five years now. So it would not surprise me if they drive native pigeons away in Alice. However, I have seen Crested Pigeons in Sydney in the same parkland habitat as Spotteds. Crested are one of the bird species that have expanded their natural range due to tree removal to develop grazing lands.


----------



## ronhalling (Feb 20, 2016)

[MENTION=41842]Bluetongue1[/MENTION], It is exactly the same situation where i live in Port Macquarie, when i moved into this house 20 years ago the crested pigeon and white headed pigeon were prolific, but now we hardly see any, the most common now is the spotted dove and whoa betide any other type of dove/pigeon that tries to enter it's domain, feathers fly from any intruder silly enough to enter the spotted dove's territory.  .....................Ron


----------



## mikey_mike (Feb 20, 2016)

I'm pretty sure that they compete with Cresteds (at least around Alice) - if for no other reason than I regularly catch Cresteds in my traps. Cresteds & turtledoves sometimes feed together. Both species seem to take a mixture of grass seeds & grain / pet food from humans. You're totally correct that turtledoves are confined to near Alice - but this doesn't mean that they rely exclusively on humans for food. (I havent actually researched this just personal observations). In Rockingham, WA the rock doves compete with seabirds for roosting sites in sandstone cliffs, so competition doesn't have to be for food. In Alice this could be benficial for the Cresteds as turtle doves also "compete" to become prey for raptors - a dilutional effect. All very interesting for ecology buffs, limited relevance to reptiles except that the Oenpelli Pythons now have a food source - yay. I'm going to keep trapping.


----------



## Bluetongue1 (Feb 20, 2016)

@mikey_mike. I totally agree, which is why I qualified my first sentence with the rider “in natural habitat”. I don’t doubt within an urban landscape that Cresteds and Spotteds compete for certain common food resources. The fact that Cresteds have been able to invade and establish themselves in a city the size of Sydney says they are able to utilise a substantial variety of the seed resources available in urban areas. Crested pigeons are fairly good at driving off other species and I suspect that, depending on the particular situation, such as the range and degree of resources available, sometimes they hold their own against Spotted Doves and sometimes they don’t. 

The Rock Doves that you mention at Rockingham are still urban animals. They are competing with natives within the metropolitan area. This is true of other urban established invaders like the Common Myna, which competes with native birds.


----------



## mikey_mike (Feb 20, 2016)

Bluetongue we're most definitely in agreement, but urban areas have important ecological values also. Your local region is a case in point. Rock doves cause problems in the Shoal Water Is. Marine Park & also Carnac Is. (I'm a bit hazy about Carnac its been a few years now since I've visited) .Shoal Water would count as urban, don't think Carnac counts though. Anyway I hope you & other switched on people get to enjoy & protect these places - I miss the ocean. 

On a different note - can't wait to see an Oenpelli one day. Good work GB.


----------



## Bluetongue1 (Feb 20, 2016)

@mikey_mike. I did not mean to give the wrong impression here. The point I wanted to make is the spread of Rock Doves and Spotted Turtle Doves is limited to urbanised areas and adjacent natural habitat within close flying distance. Where these ferals make use of important resources normally accessed by native animals, then control measures are absolutely appropriate, most especially areas of natural habitat adjacent urbanisation. Even within the heart of urban areas, I reckon some measure of on-going population control is warranted in many cases. So yeah, we are definitely on the same page in that respect.


----------



## Wally (Feb 20, 2016)

That's better Blue... it seems you've replaced your ribbon. You were getting a little faint there.


----------



## kingofnobbys (Feb 21, 2016)

Why not use common pidgeons (the kind that are everywhere in cities) or indian minner birds. Both introduced, invasive, and pests, and displacing native birds and out competing them.


----------



## Herpo (Feb 22, 2016)

Some states and suburbs give out traps for myna birds, and some feed those to their snakes.


----------

