I have noted in my guide "Older version"  that in 2003  ABA bird name 
changes listed "The official common name has been changed from Rock Dove to 
Rock Pigeon.  The bird's scientific name remains Columbia livia."
I am actually seeing more in remote non-residential locations, mostly 
bridges including the one on Route 7 in Sunderland by the Heron rookery. 
With all the manmade structures we will probably not see them return to rock 
ledges  for nesting but they are certainly wild birds.   Nancy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janet Watton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 11:17 AM
Subject: [VTBIRD] Two in one!


> Hello, all,
> We had a rare double citing in our yard today.  My husband was headed  up 
> to the barn and surprised (and was surprised himself!) a barred  owl on 
> the ground under one of our apple trees just a few feet from  him.  It 
> flew up into the tree long enough for me to come out and  admire him, and 
> then off to the edge of the woods.  We looked on the  ground where the owl 
> had been and found a small, beautiful (dead)  ermine.  It remained there 
> for the rest of the day in the snow but  was gone this morning.  We 
> figured the owl would remember.
>
> On another note, I notice some of you call the Rock Dove "Rock  Pigeon." 
> I realize that the Pigeons and the Rock Dove are in the  Columbidae 
> family, but I have never until now heard that elevated  nomenclature. 
> Peterson, the Golden Book, National Geographic, and  Sibley all call it a 
> rock dove (though Peterson has "domestic  pigeon"  and Sibley "feral 
> pigeon" parenthetically.  I guess I ask  all of this with a smirk, as I 
> often have the reluctance to even add  the creature to my lists!
>
> Janet
> Randolph Center
>