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The Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata monilis)
winters mainly in southern California and breeds throughout the mountains of California,
Oregon, Washington, and in British Columbia. Band-tailed pigeons on the Pacific Coast regularly
visit and congregate at mineral sites where they obtain salt. State wildlife biologists monitor
populations of band-tail pigeons using counts of birds at mineral sites. Understanding the breeding
distribution and migration strategies of band-tailed pigeons will help optimize this survey. Recent
advances in the miniaturization of satellite transmitters may enable this novel approach to answer
much needed questions regarding the movements of and habitats used by this bird. In this study, we
are marking band-tailed pigeons in southern California with new lightweight solar-powered transmitters
to evaluate their potential use in determining winter movements, spring and fall migrations, and breeding
distribution. This project is supported by the Pacific Flyway Study Committee, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Webless Migratory Game Bird Research Program, Quail Unlimited, the California, Oregon, and Washington Fish
and Wildlife agencies, and Canadian Wildlife Service. The Dixon Field Station of the U. S. Geological Survey,
Western Ecological Research Center in Dixon, California has developed methodology to monitor population change
in Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons, studied breeding ecology of pigeons in northern California, and evaluated
landscape characteristics associated with pigeon use of mineral sites.
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey