Invasion of the European Synanthropic Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Population in the City of Grozny of the Chechen Republic

In the middle of the 19th century, a synanthropic wood pigeon Columba palumbus (Linnaeus, 1758) population was formed in European cities, and from the second half of the 20th century, the territorial expansion of this population in the eastern direction began. At the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, wood pigeons began to nest in Russian cities, including settlements of Western Ciscaucasia and the North Caucasus. In the natural biotopes of the Chechen Republic, the wood pigeon is known as a common nesting, flying, and rare wintering species. In the city of Grozny, the wood pigeon was first registered in April 2016. Wood pigeons were also noted here in subsequent years. In late May–early June 2023, a parent pair of wood pigeons with young chicks that flew out of the nest was observed in the city center. This indicates the successful urbanization of wood pigeons in the city of Grozny and the continued settlement of the European synanthropic population of this species in cities in the south of Russia.