oil and feral pigeons?

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From examining birds in the hand I would say that cockatoos (including Galahs) have more powder down than rosellas. Also that in some species it is more waxy and less talc-like, so may not get into the water as much as the pigeon powder appears to.

 

From: John Harris <>
Sent: Thursday, 31 January 2019 1:41 PM
To: 'Canberra Birds' <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] oil and feral pigeons?

 

 

 

I gladly bow to powder down rather than crop milk!!! Just one question. Does this mean other birds which visit Robin’s bird bath don’t have powder down?  (eg Crimson Rosellas)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Philip Veerman <>
Date: Thursday, 31 January 2019 at 12:31 pm
To: "" <m("iinet.net.au","arowell");">>, 'Robin Hide' <m("anu.edu.au","robin.hide");">>, chatline <m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">>
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] oil and feral pigeons?

 

Alison wrote what I was going to suggest. If you do an internet search on powder down, you will find a lot more information.

 

From: [m("iinet.net.au","arowell");">]
Sent: Thursday, 31 January, 2019 11:54 AM
To: 'Robin Hide'; 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] oil and feral pigeons?

 

I think you’ll find this comes from ‘powder-down’, special small body feathers that break down into a slightly greasy talc-like substance that some birds use in feather dressing (as these happy pigeons seem to be doing). I’ve also seen powder down on herons and parrots, and a very clear powder outline of the flight feathers where a pigeon has hit a window. It gives a whitish bloom to the feathers of some birds – I knew a rescued Galah that hadn’t learned to distribute its powder properly and its pink feathers were much brighter than its better-groomed mate.

Alison

 

From: Robin Hide <>
Sent: Thursday, 31 January 2019 11:30 AM
To: Canberra Birds <m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">>
Subject: [canberrabirds] oil and feral pigeons?

 

According to Wiki, pigeons are one of several bird families that lack a uropygial gland, “informally known as the preen gland or the oil gland, is a bilobed sebaceous gland possessed by the majority of birds”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uropygial_gland

 

However, when (unwelcome) feral pigeons use our bird bath, they leave the water surface covered with a whitish, I assume, oily substance, as shown here:

 

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In contrast, the water remains clear after use by all other species (Red Wattle Birds, Magpies, Magpie Larks, ravens, Crimson Rosellas, starlings , etc etc).

 

Any suggestions about the source of this substance?

 

Robin Hide

 

With the current heat , even the rarely visiting choughs wanted water:

 

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