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.