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Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Alternate name(s): "Collared Dove", "Eurasian Collared-Dove" German name(s): "Türkentaube" Size: 30-35 cm; wing span: 46-51 cm Body mass: 144-173 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.30-0.45

Europe: Family Group 11 Family Group 11 Table Black-bellied Sandgrouse Rock Dove Stock Dove Common Wood Pigeon European Turtle Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Collared Doves are medium-sized, slender doves. The separation of the sexes is usually easiest by studying their behaviour, rather than by appearance/morphology. Their plumage is almost uniformly pale buff-grey (head, front, tail). The back is a fraction darker buff-grey, with a white leading edge on the wings and black flight feathers. Their most distinguishing feature is a white-edged black bar at the nape of the neck. The irises are dark. The bill is grey; the legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Nominate race "decaocto" has white skin around the eyes, while race "xanthocyclus" has yellow-skinned eye-rings. Juveniles do not have a well-defined collar and their irises are brown.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Collared Dove at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Collared Dove is available HERE . There are two races of Eurasian Collared Doves, which are not migratory, but highly dispersive (and thereby in suitable habitats also invasive). Nominate race "decaocto" has the widest range. Originally they were found in Eurasia from Turkey eastward, in parts of the Middle East, northern Arabia, through central southern Asia into the Indian subcontinent and on to Bhutan and Assam and the Andaman Islands. From central Asia they are also found along the northern side of the Himalayas, all the way through northern China onto the Korean peninsula. In the West of their range they have colonized since the 19th century the northern African coastline and all of Europe, from Portugal to the Ural mountains and from the Mediterranian to southern Scandinavia, ALL of Europe (except the highest mountain ranges [Alps, Pyrenees, Apennine Mountains]). Race "xanthocyclus" populates south-eastern Asia, from Myanmar to southern China. There is also a large introduced population in North and Central America. In Europe, Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", are found anywhere outside the highest mountain ranges (Alps, Pyrenees, Appennin), except central and northern Scandinavia. They are present on the outer Atlantic islands (Faeroes, Hebrides) and, except for the Baleares, also on the Mediterranean islands. There is one small area on the northern Norwegian coast where they are also present. Eurasian Collared Doves are very versatile in their choice of habitat, as long as there are shrubs or trees available for nesting and seeds to feed on. They are very tolerant of the presence of humans (they can become hand-tame) and most nests are found close to human habitation. We have seen them in both urban environments and in acacia-dominated semi-desert country.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "decaocto" D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", regularly in and around Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, where they are permanent residents. J. Pires reports spotting Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", regularly in the area of Mora, Evora, Portugal. M. Eaton reports finding Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. M. Ehle reports a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", visiting a suburban garden in Villafranca del Castillo, near Madrid, Spain, in March 2020. J. Pires also found Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", on Faial Island, Azores, in November 2018. A. Sarok spotted Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", were also occasionally seen by us in Oman.

Photos

Race "decaocto"

ADULT

PAIR

Near-frontal view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves foraging on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

MALE

Lateral view of a cooing male Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, December 2015]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove; note the characteristic collar (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove looking at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coina river, Palhais, Barreiro, Setubal, Portugal, February 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Couco, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2021]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, December 2015]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, Ponte de Sor, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2014]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Faial Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Amendoeira da Serra, Mertola, Portugal, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Dorsal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Parque Ecologico do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]

4 Eurasian Collared Doves (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Quinta do Ludo, Loule, Algarve, Portugal, October 2020]

Comparison between a Eurasian Collared Dove and a Common Starling (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2016]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Malarranha, Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove banking to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Porto Santo, Portugal, November 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an adult Eurasian Collared Dove, back, leading a juvenile to water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Additional information

Photos of Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", were also taken by us in in Oman.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/mob

Only in the northern parts of the British Isles are Eurasian Collared Doves summer breeding migrants; everywhere else they are sedentary.

Like other doves and pigeons, Eurasian Collared Doves can gather in flocks (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Food, Diet

Like all pigeons and doves, Eurasian Collared Doves are strictly vegetarian. To the best of our knowledge they feed exclusively on seeds.

Lateral view of 3 Eurasian Collared Doves visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2025]

Lateral view of an adult Eurasian Collared Dove, back, and a juvenile having a drink (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Doves and pigeons do not, like other birds, open their bills when calling, but they rather "hum" through their noses, with the bill closed.

The specific name "decaocto" (=18) reflects the fact that Eurasian Collared Doves regularly use 6 sequences of 3 "coo" calls, i.e. 6x "coo-COO-coo".

eurcdov_dw_20160529.m4a	decaocto (Poland)	Contact calls	© DW
eurcdov_dw_20190804.m4a	decaocto (Poland)	Contact calls (+ Eurasian Golden Oriole)	© DW
eurcdov_jp_20200329.m4a	decaocto (Portugal)	Contact calls Q&A (+ others in bkgd)	© JP
eurcdov_jp_20230217_2.mp3	decaocto (Portugal)	Contact calls (+ others in bkgd)	© JP
eurcdov_dw_20190804_2.m4a	decaocto (Poland)	Alarm calls	© DW
eurcdov_dw_20210914.m4a	decaocto (Poland)	Alarm calls	© DW
eurcdov_jp_20230217.mp3	decaocto (Portugal)	Alarm calls	© JP

More Eurasian Collared Dove sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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