- Streptopelia decaocto
Identification
Length 29-33 cm, wingspan 48-53 cm, weight 125-196 g.
A medium-sized, pale dove with a distinctive black collar around the back of the neck only - does not extend to the chin. The collar is often outlined with a thin white ring on both sides. Dark red eye, grey bill, dark primaries, and a long tail tipped in white.
Similar Species
Very similar to the African Collared Dove and other related members of its genus; in much of the range the only likely member to be confused is Barbary Dove, a domesticated form of African Collared Dove, found as a feral bird in a few regions and a frequent escape. Barbary Dove has white undertail coverts while this area is grey and often the darkest part of the belly in Eurasian Collared Dove.
Outside of Streptopelia and in North America, the most similar species is Mourning Dove, but Eurasian Collared Dove is lighter in colour and tail is squared off rather than pointed.
Distribution
Europe and southern Asia. Feral populations also recently established in the Caribbean and North America.
Originally native to just southern Asia and the extreme southeast of Europe (European Turkey), it expanded rapidly to the northwest through the 1900s, reaching Bulgaria in the 1920s, Germany by 1946, Britain by 1955, and Ireland by 1963; it then spread a little more slowly northeast and southwest from this first push, reaching Finland around 1970, Spain by about 1980, and Morocco by around 2000. It also reached the Faroe Islands, where it clings on in very small numbers, and Iceland, where it failed to establish and remains a casual vagrant which has only bred on a very few occasions. There has also been some spread at the opposite end of the range, increasing in eastern China and Korea, and reaching southern Japan.
Some recent decline in numbers has been noted in Britain, possibly due to competition from increasing numbers of Common Wood Pigeon and/or improved hygeine (less spilt grain) around farms.
It was introduced accidentally into the Americas in the Bahamas in 1974, soon made its way to Florida, and has been rapidly spreading across North America ever since. Published distribution maps can be considered obsolete very quickly; the species is now established well into the far western states, British Columbia, and the Great Lakes.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species with two subspecies[1]:
- S. d. decaocto:
- S. d. xanthocycla:
The feral populations in North America also belong to S. d. decaocto.
Habitat
Mostly suburban and village environments with light vegetation or around arable farm buildings; almost always close to human habitation.
Behaviour
Movement
Forages on the ground, but frequently flies to perches in trees. Skilled and fast flyer. Ringing evidence in Europe during the main expansion phase showed a tendency for young birds to disperse northwestward; this effect has declined more recently as populations increased and stabilised.
Breeding
A twiggy platform nest in a dense bush or tree, more rarely in or on a building. The clutch consists of 2 glossy white eggs which are incubated for 16 to 17 days, fledging around 19 days later. There can be up to five broods per annum, though breeding success per brood is usually fairly low. Eggs may be laid at any time of the year in warmer regions, but mainly March to October in climates with colder winters.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Streptopelia decaocto (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Birdwatching Magazine
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Eurasian Collared Dove. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Eurasian_Collared_Dove
External Links
