Evolution at the wild-domestic interface ⛰️🏙️ I study Rock Doves in the Outer Hebrides. @uniofnottingham.bsky.social @leverhulme.ac.uk https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UW64SScAAAAJ&hl https://www.researchgate.net/profile/William-Smith-134https://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mlejn6ki322gNice that this has come out as we are in Uist, working with wild Rock Doves. It's great to get to know individuals, following them through their lives out in the meadows, ruins, and caves. If you live on, or visit, the islands, please keep an eye out for ringed doves to help us to learn more 🕊️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2026 20:04 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlejn6ki322ghttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3ml7kki3bck2fDomestic birds play major roles in our lives - so it's weird that we often lack basic knowledge of their wild forms, e.g. Red Junglefowl 🐓 / Rock Doves 🕊️! Eben Gering, @jenteo.bsky.social 🪿, Philip Lavretsky 🦆, and I discuss research + conservation priorities #Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duag04506 May 2026 20:37 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7kki3bck2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3ml746hx66c2wThis beautiful Song Thrush, caught today in Uist (whilst mist netting for @jezierskimt.bsky.social's island bird research), is of the 'hebridensis' subspecies. I can't see any differences cf. those I'm used to seeing in England...? Open to suggestions of features I've not noticed... 🤔 #Ornithology06 May 2026 16:19 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml746hx66c2whttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mku3zq2k6k2wWhilst on holiday in Fuerteventura, @jezierskimt.bsky.social and I noticed that many visiting birders report 'African Collared Doves'. But we saw only Eurasian birds, or probable hybrids. With Hein van Grouw, we did a mini study exploring this 🕊️: https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.70067 #Ornithology @bou.org.uk02 May 2026 07:18 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mku3zq2k6k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mka5ppiqus26Also, I learnt there is such a thing as a 'worm lizard'. Such an odd animal 🪱🦎. Alongside beautiful Violet Carpenter Bees, glowworms, and hundreds of Perez's Frogs 🐸 [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Apr 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mka5ppiqus26https://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mka5ppiqus26Also, I learnt there is such a thing as a 'worm lizard'. Such an odd animal 🪱🦎. Alongside beautiful Violet Carpenter Bees, glowworms, and hundreds of Perez's Frogs 🐸 [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Apr 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mka5ppiqus26https://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mjtk2vjvok23It's been great to help out on the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social undergraduate field course in Portugal. Lots of very cool birds caught, all contributing to a long-running study of their feather mites. This work has involved generations of Nottingham students, over decades! #Ornithology 🐦‍⬛19 Apr 2026 08:31 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjtk2vjvok23https://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3miizmyinm22zExciting to finally experience my personal equivalent of ‘is there a doctor on the plane?’ 🕊️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Apr 2026 10:45 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3miizmyinm22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3migzgwio322u🧵 1/6 I'm at #BOU2026, presenting the results of our pilot study, GPS tracking Outer Hebridean 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Rock Doves. These birds represent the wild form of feral/domestic pigeons. This is published as a natural history 'insight', in @amornith.bsky.social's #Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukae05001 Apr 2026 15:36 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3migzgwio322uhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mi77e7dm322gThere are now three species in the elite 'failed non-native' category of British birds. Ruddy Duck joins the illustrious Golden and Lady Amherst's Pheasants. Oh well, they tried their best... 😅 [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Mar 2026 13:01 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi77e7dm322ghttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mhq2q2vqi22mThis Rock Dove was ringed in 2022, as a chick in a South Uist ruin. This morning, he turned up again, happy and well-fed (having somehow evaded notice across 2023, 2024, and 2025...). Without colour ringing, and help from local people reporting 'their' doves, we wouldn't know that he is still alive!23 Mar 2026 12:28 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhq2q2vqi22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mhfqkdueu22f'It was unclear which team - if either - the pigeon supported' ⚽🐦 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwy62dpq1x0o#:~:text=A%20pigeon%20briefly%20stopped%20play,been%20hit%20by%20the%20ball.19 Mar 2026 09:59 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhfqkdueu22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mh4cg4lkak2dFirst Rock Dove chicks of 2026, ringed in a derelict building in Uist @jezierskimt.bsky.social. They already have their white bum patches, but there's a while to go until they lose they (gross?) yellow fluff 🐣. Hopefully we will see them later this year, and find out where they've dispersed to...15 Mar 2026 15:52 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4cg4lkak2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mgflwxqvpk2qvs wild Rock Doves from our study population in Uist, Outer Hebrides - with 'blue' colour, 'bar' pattern, 'white' rump, and 'wildtype' eye. In most feral populations, only a minority of individuals have this combination of phenotypes. @jezierskimt.bsky.social @uniofnottingham.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Mar 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgflwxqvpk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/willjsmith.bsky.social/post/3mgcjvib3ok2iLove seeing feral pigeon variation...surely the most extensive of any wild bird! How amazing that they thrive in the concrete jungle. Here are some examples from across the UK, being studied for projects supported by @gensocuk.bsky.social @leverhulme.ac.uk @britishecologicalsociety.org05 Mar 2026 09:57 +0000at://did:plc:igf4qil7fqaohs4lfcrs7qs6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgcjvib3ok2i