Types of Pigeons in South Africa:
- Red-Eyed Dove
- Speckled Pigeon
- African-Green Pigeon
- Laughing Dove
- Cape-Turtle Dove
Diseases Carried
It has been suggested that there are over 60 other diseases that birds and their droppings can carry.
Examples of bird diseases associated with pigeons, geese, starling and house sparrows:
- Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal.
- Candidiasis is yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons.
- Cryptococcosis is caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and also starlings.
- Louis Encephalitis is an inflammationof the nervous system that causes drowsiness, headache and fever.
- Salmonellosis often occurs as food poisoning and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows.
- E.coli. Cattle carry E. coli 0157:H7.
Did you know?
- Feral pigeons are the same species as pigeons bred to race and can fly at speeds up to 177 km/h for long stretches.
- A full grown pigeon has 10,000 feathers.
- Have you ever seen a pigeon chick? Interestingly, pigeons don’t reveal themselves to humans until they are fully mature.
- Pigeons only have one partner, and can live to the age of 20.
- Pigeons have an exceptional ability to find their way home, no matter what people do to confuse them.
- Pigeons have a sensitive sense of hearing and are able to detect distant storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
- Pigeons are herbivores. Their diet consists of seeds, fruit and plants.
- Pigeons have great eyesight and ability to identify objects on a distance of 42 kilometres.
