Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 21() 1976
The Urban Population of the Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758, in Europe – its Origin, Increase and Distribution
Abstract:
The history and course of the expansion of the urban Woodpigeon population in the European mainland has been reconstructed on the basis of literature and the latest data. The paper comprises detailed data on the present state of this population in towns of the border zone of its range and its density in three types of habitats, i.e. in a forest, an open area and a town. The laws of expansion of a new population in the area already occupied by this species have been formulated and a hypothesis concerning the mechanism of urbanization of the Woodpigeon is put forward. Arguments pointing to the non-hereditary nature of changes, which result rather from an increase of the whole population of this species in size, are presented.
