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The bird on the cover of Palm OS Programming: The Developer’s Guide, Second Edition, is a rock dove. There are 14 subspecies of rock dove, including the domestic pigeon. These birds are widely distributed throughout the world. In their native environment, rock doves live on rocky cliffs, building their nests in crevices and caves. In the urban environment that most domestic pigeons inhabit, nests are built on the ledges of buildings. Rock doves are not migratory birds; they establish permanent residences. Domestic pigeons often have a range as small as 500 square meters. The rock doves’ diet consists mainly of grains containing meal and oil. They also feed on insects and snails, and they supplement this diet with stones, sand, and clay. There is a considerably less savory aspect of their diet, as well: rock doves often satisfy their salt requirements by feeding at dung heaps, or near refuse or human waste sites.
The rock dove population has exploded as many of their natural predators, such as the falcon, hawk, and owl, have decreased in number. This population increase is also helped along by humans, who feed the birds.
Linley Dolby was the production editor and proofreader for Palm OS Programming: The Developer’s Guide, Second Edition ...