Eurasian Collared-Dove

Large pale dove with a black crescent on the nape. Slightly smaller and paler than Rock Pigeon, with a proportionately longer, square-tipped tail. Favors farms and suburbs; avoids areas with extensive forests. Typically seen in pairs or small loose groups; forms larger flocks in winter. Widespread and common throughout much of Eurasia and northern Africa. Introduced to, and established in, much of North America, the Caribbean, and parts of Central America. Compare with African Collared-Dove, which may occur in small feral populations or as an escapee throughout Eurasian Collared-Dove’s range. Especially note tail pattern from below: mostly white, contrasting with the grayish undertail coverts, and with black extending down the outer edge of the tail feathers.

Adult Male (spring / summer)

Fairly large dove (32 cm) with small head and long square-tipped tail with big white patches in outer tail. Upperparts mostly sandy-brown with a black crescent on the back of the neck. Darker than the domesticated Ringed-Turtle-Dove, especially on undertail coverts and wingtips.

Adult Female (spring / summer)

Sexes are similar.

Juvenile

Similar to adult.

General:

Eurasian Collared-Doves settle on phone wires and fence posts to give the rhythmic three-parted coo. This chunky relative of the Mourning Dove gets its name from the black half-collar at the nape of the neck. A few Eurasian Collared-Doves were introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970s. They made their way to Florida by the 1980s and then rapidly colonized most of North America.

Behaviour:

Forages mostly while walking on the ground. When not breeding, usually forages in flocks. Sometimes flutters among branches of trees or shrubs to take berries.

Habitat:

Eurasian Collared-Doves are found throughout much of North America in urban and suburban settings with access to bird feeders and other seed sources. In agricultural areas they seek open sites where grain is available, including farmyards, fields, and areas around silos. Though evidence is mixed, they appear to avoid areas with heavy forest cover or extremely cold temperatures, which may help explain their absence from the Northeast.

Information:

During the 20th century, this pale dove expanded its range spectacularly from the Middle East all the way across Europe. Introduced accidentally into the Bahamas in 1974, it soon spread to the Florida mainland. Its expansion westward and northward from there since the 1980s has been remarkable, and the species is now common to abundant across much of North America, as far northwest as Oregon and Washington. Oddly, the expansion has not yet penetrated the northeastern states, aside from a few records of strays.

Similar species: ​

Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, African Collared-Dove

Conservation Status:

Newcomer in North America, spreading rapidly. Possible interactions with native species not yet well understood, but no obvious negative impacts have been noted so far. Listed as least concern.

Capture Rates:

Although a common and increasing species in North America, the Eurasian Collared-Dove is not common in the old fields at Colony Farm where we band with captures being limited to a single individual banded in 2023.

Molt Summary:

Not well known.