By Urs Geiser,
| Eurasian Collared-Doves, Budapest (Hungary), July 2000. Note dark primaries. Photo by Urs Geiser. |
Much of this write-up was abstracted from Smith (1987), with additional information from Bent (1997). Please feel free to comment or send me corrections.
The family of pigeons and doves (Columbidae) has a long history of domestication and man-assisted dispersal. Of the doves occurring regularly in our area, only the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a native species. The Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), which once frequented the Midwest, is long extinct, and Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba fasciata), Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), and Inca Dove (Columbina inca) are rare vagrants to Illinois. Of the introduced species, the feral Rock Dove (Columbia livia) or city pigeon is well-known in urban areas and around farms. More recently, two other dove species have made their appearance in Illinois, and this short article is intended to give a brief overview over the situation with these newcomers. Much of this material has been treated in more detail by Smith (1987) and Bent (1997), and the reader is strongly encourage to consult these two articles.
The two species are both similar-looking members of the old world genus Streptopelia: The Eurasian Collared-Dove (S. decaocto) and the Domestic Collared-Dove (S. 'risoria', see below for an explanation of the quotes), also known as Ringed Turtle-Dove.
The Eurasian Collared-Dove's original range is thought to have been India, but it underwent a range expansion through Asia Minor and the Balkans during the 16th century. In this century it has spread through most of Europe, and it is still expanding its range into Russia and into the Iberian Peninsula. Colonization seems to have occurred in jumps of several hundred kilometers at a time, with subsequent 'back-filling'. In Europe, it is commonly found in small towns, suburbs, and agricultural centers, where it feeds on seeds and grains.
The Ringed Turtle-Dove (in England known as Barbary Dove) is thought to be a domesticated form (recessive mutant) of the African Collared-Dove (Streptopelia rosogrisea), a native of sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Domestication may have taken place as early as the Neolithic period. Because of the domestic origin of this dove, a separate scientific name is not warranted (thus the quotes in 'risoria'), and the term 'Domestic Collared-Dove' is preferred by some authors.
Ringed Turtle-Doves were kept in captivity on several of the Caribbean islands since at least the 19th century. They found their way into the U.S. through the caged bird trade. Escaped bird establish populations that last a few generations and then frequently disappear again. Particularly long-lived populations are known in southern Florida and in the Los Angeles area. These birds depend heavily on human civilization, possibly requiring a constant influx of new escapees (or free-flying domestic flocks), and they are not prone to spreading. In Illinois, clusters exist in the Joliet-Romeoville-Bolingbrook (Will County, with birds occasionally seen in adjacent DuPage County) corridor and in the Brookfield (Cook Co.) area. Bohlen (1989) lists additional records from Beardstown (Cass Co.), Springfield (Sangamon Co.), Highland Park (Lake Co.), and Christmas Bird Count observations from Ogle/Lee and Rock Island/Henry Counties.
Starting in the 1950s, dove-fanciers have found ways to breed much variety into the Ringed Turtle-Doves. Some birds now closely resemble the wild type (S. rosogrisea), whereas others are pale, fawn (this term is applied to the near-wild form by some authors) or blond, white, ivory, peach, rosy, orange, etc., and pied morphs are known as well. For a representative selection, see here.
Eurasian Collared-Doves were apparently imported into the Bahamas during the 1970s when a supplier was unable to fill an order of Ringed Turtle-Doves and sent Eurasian Collared-Doves instead. About 50 of these doves were released in 1974 as a result of an aviary break-in. Within ten years, the population multiplied to at least 10,000 birds, and it started to spread to other islands. By the mid-1980s it reached the North American mainland near Miami, Florida, from where it has expanded its range rapidly. The species was documented in southern Illinois in the mid-1990s, and it has recently been accepted on the official state checklist. It should be noted that there are no accepted records yet in northern Illinois (although some observers have reported them in the greater Joliet area since the mid- or late 1980s), but the species is expected to arrive there in the near future.
Some forms of Ringed Turtle-Dove closely resemble Eurasian Collared-Dove. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to separate the two. Hybrids have been found.
Smith (1987) lists the following key differences which should be considered in combination. The first four are considered most dependable and consistent. Note that the extent of white outline around the black neck 'slash' mark is not considered a reliable field mark, contrary to the information given in the National Geographic Society Field Guide (1987), although on average, the Eurasian Collared-Dove shows more white there. The difference in undertail and upperwing patterns is illustrated very well in the BirdSource article.
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Ringed Turtle-Dove | |
| Call: | Unrolled "kuk-koooOO-kook", often in series | Rolled "kooeek-krrrooooo(aw)", with pauses |
| Cry note: | Harsh screaming mew | Soft jeering laugh |
| Vent and undertail coverts: | Gray, no contrast with other underparts | Whitish, often contrasting with belly |
| Outer tail feathers: | Outer web mostly dark | Outer web mostly white |
| Size: | Much larger than Mourning Dove | Usually somewhat larger than Mourning Dove |
| Color: | Pale sandy brown, with buffy gray neck, head underparts | Variable, often creamier or pinker, lacking gray tones |
| Wings: | Primaries clearly darker than rest of wing | Primaries often not much darker than rest of wing |
| Tail shape: | Long, rounded or square | Variable, often more pointed |
| Tail underside: | Dark basal underside reaches tip of undertail coverts | Dark basal underside rarely approaches tip of undertail coverts |
| Behavior: | Usually sly, not allowing close approach | Meek, usually approachable |
A large number of photos of Eurasian Collared-Doves can be found on the web, e.g. with this Google search. Look especially for side-by-side comparisons, e.g. here.
Michael Retter has provided a set of pictures of a pair of Streptopelia doves that he and others videotaped in Nokomis (NE Montgomery County) in 1998. These represent some of the earliest examples of documented Eurasian Collared-Doves in Illinois.
Birders have an excellent chance to witness and to document the spread of a species. All collared doves should be carefully examined. While at the time of this writing it seems likely that all collared doves in northern Illinois will be Ringed Turtle-Doves, this situation may change in the near future. While the Ringed Turtle-Dove seems to have little impact on the native avifauna, it is possible that the Eurasian Collared-Dove may compete with the native Mourning Dove. Birders should be aware of this potential competition, and the Mourning Dove populations should be monitored where the Eurasian Collared-Dove is spreading.
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