Eurasian Collared-Dove

Day 307: The history of the Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) in the United States is fascinating and a bit disturbing. They were unknown in this country until the early 1980s when, following a burglary of a pet shop in the Bahamas in the mid-70s, a number of the birds escaped. The store owner subsequently released the remainder of the flock (about 50 birds), and by the mid-80s, they were showing up in Florida. In the 35-40 years following, they spread throughout the United States and into Canada, an astonishingly rapid spread. While they are most commonly seen in cities, I have one or two which mingle with the Mourning Doves, and at first glance, one might mistake a Collared-Dove for a washed-out Mourning Dove, however, when the bird extends its neck, a dark "collar" appears, the feature which gives the species its common name.

Eurasian Collared-dove, Streptopelia Decaocto

Day 225: As if Band-tailed Pigeons weren't bad enough, I now have another unwelcome guest at my feeders. No, this is not a Mourning Dove, although it looks very similar. Note the black line on the back of the neck. This is a Eurasian Collared-dove, a bird whose range has expanded to include most of the United States outside the Northeast since an accidental release from a Bahamian pet store in the 1970s. In some locales such as Texas and Florida, Collared-doves are reported to be displacing native doves with whom they compete at feeders. As far as I'm concerned, they're just another (insert the purple-hued invective of your choice) pigeon, although they do contribute to my cardiovascular health, given the number of times each day I leap from my chair and run at the window, shrieking and flapping my arms.

Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia Decaocto

Day 350: A casual glance at the Mourning Doves searching the ground beneath the feeders might not have caught the one onion in the petunia patch. Slightly larger, greyer, a solitary bird relied on its resemblance to its cousins to effectively camouflage a Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), but when it extended its neck in alert, the dark line revealed its true nature. Introduced in the Bahamas in the 1970s, this species' range has extended to most states except in the northeastern part of the US and is working its way into Canada. These birds do not tolerate extreme cold, a fact which some sources believe explains their absence in the NE, however, with global temperatures on the rise, this may change within a fairly short span of time. At this point in their history, they are not considered detrimental to native bird populations, although their large appetites may affect food-source availability in regions where they occur in large numbers. The internet will supply many references stating that "decaocto" refers to a servant in Greek mythology and her transformation into a dove, but these allegations are unsupported and purely apocryphal.

Eurasian Invader

Day 160: Having recently extended its range into Washington, Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) are appearing at backyard feeders (including mine) in growing numbers. This introduced species has not yet been classified as "invasive" to the best of my knowledge, but its hardiness is allowing it to out-compete native species such as Mourning Doves in many localities. It hasn't made a marked decrease in the number of Band-Tailed Pigeons in my yard, though.