Re: Eurasian Collared-Dove

Gregory B Miller (gregorym@erols.com)
Sun, 02 May 1999 07:47:22 -0400 

Leslie Roslund wrote:
> 
> Gregg - Great set of Photos!

*** Thanks!

>         Glad you included some shots of the Eurasian Collared Dove.  I saw several
> of them in Pensacola FL last week.  Could you give me a quickie update on
> the situation with that species?  Such as - where have they come from? -

*** They come from Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.  They were
introduced in the Bahamas in 1974.  Our North American population
probably stems from this population.

> how widely distributed are they now? 

*** In North America, they are already permanent residents from coastal
South Carolina to coastal Louisiana and cover the entire state of
Florida.  They are strong fliers and are spreading rapidly.  Recent
reports have come from as far away as the Rockies and Northern Great
Plains and as far North as the Great Lakes.

- where do they nest?  

*** Trees and shrubs from 10-40 ft. Nest includes 1-2 eggs.  Young leave
nest in 15-20 days and require parental aid for another week or so.  In
Europe, these birds may breed all year long and produce up to 6 broods
per year.  This may also be the case in Florida.

- what do they eat?  

*** Primarily seeds.  Will also eat berries and some insects as well as
human offerings of bread crumbs.  Will frequent feeding stations. 
Forages on the ground.

-do they seem to be a welcome addition to the species lists where they
are showing up? 

*** Interactions with native species is not yet well known.  

- and do they show any bad habits?  

*** No obvious negative impacts have been noted.

> I listened to them several times, and thought their call was quite pleasant.

*** I agree.  The smooth 3-note call kuk-kooo-hooo has a slightly
shorter first syllable and the middle syllable is accented.  It reminds
me of someone pronouncing the word Chi-ca'-go slowly.  It also has a
whiney, jay-like cry that it gives in flight.  Just to reiterate two
habits I have noted frequently in this bird that I have not seen in
Mourning Doves:

	1) They will sit on top of telephone poles and lamp posts like Rock
Doves
	2) They often sit at an angle on wires (like a Kestrel)

Thanks for your questions Les.  I had to do some digging since I didn't
know all this info myself.  Answers given above are derived from the new
West Indies book as well as Kenn Kaufman's Lives of North American
Birds.

-- 
Greg Miller
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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