{"id":37146,"date":"2026-06-20T14:16:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8012\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/06\/20\/a-small-but-beautiful-reminder-of-genetic-richness\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T14:16:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:16:18","slug":"a-small-but-beautiful-reminder-of-genetic-richness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/06\/20\/a-small-but-beautiful-reminder-of-genetic-richness\/","title":{"rendered":"A Small but Beautiful Reminder of Genetic Richness"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n <\/p>\n

Urban populations of Columba livia across Europe often display a far greater diversity of plumage patterns and color morphs than those typically seen in many South American cities. It is not simply an impression caused by the scenery; the difference is genuinely noticeable from a biological and historical perspective.<\/p>\n

One reason is that Europe lies much closer to the species\u2019 original ancestral range. Across the Mediterranean and much of the continent, feral pigeons have been intermixing for centuries \u2014 often millennia \u2014 with domestic, semi-domestic, and historically bred lineages. Europe also has a very long tradition of pigeon keeping and selective breeding, which continuously introduced new genetic variations into urban populations.<\/p>\n

As a result, European cities frequently host pigeons with remarkably varied appearances: deep black \u201cspread\u201d morphs, reddish or ash-red individuals, heavily checkered birds, pale silver forms, almost entirely white pigeons, and irregular mottled patterns that are uncommon in many other urban populations around the world.<\/p>\n

Coming from Uruguay, the contrast became especially noticeable while photographing pigeons in Greece. Urban pigeons there often appeared far more variable in coloration than those commonly encountered back home, where populations tend to look more genetically uniform and are usually dominated by the classic ancestral \u201cblue bar\u201d pattern \u2014 bluish gray plumage with dark wing bars and iridescent neck feathers.<\/p>\n

Perhaps this diversity is something ordinary to those who see it every day, but to me, the remarkable range of colors and morphs found throughout the Old World remains deeply fascinating \u2014 a small yet beautiful reminder of the immense genetic and historical richness carried even by the most familiar urban birds.<\/p>\n

Thissio, Athens, Greece<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Mapa
\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Camera:<\/b> Canon EOS 77D \/ 9000D
\"Canon<\/p>\n

Lens:<\/b> Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
\"Sigma<\/p>\n

Capture Information:<\/b>
\n Focal Length: 335.0 mm
\n Shutter Speed: 1\/500
\n Aperture: f\/6.3
\n ISO: 320\n<\/p>\n

Photo Taken: May 05, 2026
\n High resolution<\/a>
\n Flickr Gallery<\/a>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Urban populations of Columba livia across Europe often display a far greater diversity of plumage patterns and color morphs than those typically seen in many South American cities. It is not simply an impression caused by the scenery; the difference is genuinely noticeable from a biological and historical perspective. One reason is that Europe lies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[17317,635,640,17325,16428,16503,1177,1190,1586,15316,1593,16528,1595,17308,17318,17324,3023,17305,3302,3306,3308,17320,17315,4229,4779,16527,16675,4914,17314,4961,17302,17310,5352,5354,17306,17307,16433,16434,5848,16435,16441,16436,6717,16504,16674,14864,17323,9370,9372,9542,9579,17303,10206,17313,17319,10418,17304,17316,17322,11283,11284,17326,17309,16802,17312,17311,17321,15776,14094,14526,14333,16466,16439],"class_list":["post-37146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-related-posts","tag-ancestral-range","tag-animal","tag-animalia","tag-ash-red-morph","tag-athens","tag-attica","tag-ave","tag-aves","tag-bird","tag-bird-photography","tag-birds","tag-birds-of-europe","tag-birdwatching","tag-blue-bar-morph","tag-breeding-history","tag-checkered-morph","tag-chordata","tag-color-morph","tag-columba-livia","tag-columbidae","tag-columbiformes","tag-columbiforms","tag-columbo","tag-dove","tag-europa","tag-europe","tag-european-fauna","tag-fauna","tag-felsentaube","tag-feral","tag-feral-pigeon","tag-feral-pigeon-morph","tag-gabriel-paladino-ibanez","tag-gabrielpaladino-com","tag-genetic-diversity","tag-genetic-variation","tag-grecia","tag-grecia-2026","tag-greece","tag-greece-2026","tag-greek","tag-hellenic-republic","tag-iridescent","tag-mediterranean","tag-mediterranean-wildlife","tag-nature-photography","tag-old-world","tag-ornithologia","tag-ornithology","tag-pajaro","tag-paloma-bravia","tag-paloma-domestica","tag-pigeon","tag-pigeon-colombe","tag-pigeon-keeping","tag-plumage","tag-plumage-morph","tag-plumage-variation","tag-population-genetics","tag-rock-dove","tag-rock-pigeon","tag-silver-morph","tag-spread-morph","tag-synanthropic","tag-synanthropic-bird","tag-urban-bird","tag-urban-ecology","tag-urban-wildlife","tag-wildlife","tag-wildlife-photography","tag-zoology","tag-16466","tag-16439","has-post-thumbnail"],"tags_input":"ancestral range,animal,animalia,ash-red morph,Athens,Attica,ave,aves,bird,bird photography,birds,birds of europe,birdwatching,blue bar morph,breeding history,checkered morph,chordata,color morph,Columba livia,columbidae,columbiformes,columbiforms,Columbo,dove,europa,Europe,European fauna,fauna,Felsentaube,feral,Feral pigeon,feral pigeon morph,Gabriel Paladino Iba\u00f1ez,gabrielpaladino.com,genetic diversity,genetic variation,Grecia,Grecia 2026,greece,Greece 2026,Greek,Hellenic Republic,iridescent,Mediterranean,Mediterranean wildlife,nature photography,Old World,ornithologia,ornithology,pajaro,paloma bravia,Paloma dom\u00e9stica,pigeon,Pigeon Colombe,pigeon keeping,plumage,plumage morph,plumage variation,population genetics,rock dove,rock pigeon,silver morph,spread morph,Synanthropic,synanthropic bird,urban bird,urban ecology,urban wildlife,wildlife,wildlife photography,zoology,\u0391\u03b8\u03ae\u03bd\u03b1,\u0395\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac\u03b4\u03b1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phjlBv-9F8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37274,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/07\/28\/pale-wanderer\/","url_meta":{"origin":37146,"position":0},"title":"Pale Wanderer","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"July 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Urban populations of Columba livia across Europe often display a far greater diversity of plumage patterns and color morphs than those typically seen in many South American cities. 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One of Europe's great avian success stories, it expanded its range from the Balkans across the entire continent during the 20th century and is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37351,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/08\/13\/hirundo-rustica\/","url_meta":{"origin":37146,"position":3},"title":"Hirundo rustica","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"August 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hirundo rustica, the Barn Swallow, is a widespread migratory passerine belonging to the swallow family (Hirundinidae) \u2014 the most widely distributed swallow species in the world \u2014 readily recognized by its slender shape, long pointed wings, and deeply forked tail. Its upperparts are dark blue to blue-black with a metallic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37379,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/08\/23\/catch-of-the-day_chaffinch\/","url_meta":{"origin":37146,"position":4},"title":"Catch of the Day","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"August 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Fringilla coelebs, the Common Chaffinch, is a small, common and widespread passerine belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae) \u2014 one of the most abundant and familiar birds across its range \u2014 readily recognized by its stout, conical bill and white wing bars visible both at rest and in flight. Breeding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23060,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2024\/06\/18\/columba-livia-shinobazu-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":37146,"position":5},"title":"Columba livia","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"June 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2022 \u30ab\u30ef\u30e9\u30d0\u30c8\u2022 Rock dove \/ rock pigeon\u2022 Paloma brav\u00eda Scientific classificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:ChordataClass:AvesOrder:ColumbiformesFamily:ColumbidaeGenus:ColumbaSpecies:C. livia \u4e0d\u5fcd\u6c60 (Shinobazu Pond), Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo, Japan Photo Taken: April 06, 2024 High resolutionFlickr Gallery Did you like this post?","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}