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11

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Alternate name(s): "Collared Dove", "Eurasian Collared-Dove" Size: 30-33 cm; wing span 47-55 cm Weight: 125-240 g

Oman: Family Group 11 Family Group 11 Table Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Rock Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Laughing Dove Namaqua Dove Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names 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 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. On the Arabian peninsula Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", are found only in the border region of Jordan with Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia with Iraq, Kuwait, a small patch in Bahrain and Qatar, and along the north coast from the western base of Musandam in the UAE eastward along the North coast of Oman to about Sur. 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" Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", were occasionally seen by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, where they were spotted in the timeframe September 2009 to April 2010. In nature they tend to be very shy; in open semi-desert terrain they will fly up when an observer approaches them at distances of almost 100 m. Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", were also found in Europe.

Photos

Race "decaocto"

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves in flight

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves in flight

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Collared Dove
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove with its head turned away
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Collared Dove
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

The same Eurasian Collared Dove as above, stretching
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Covey of Eurasian Collared Doves on an irrigator; photo obtained at Sun Farms, Sohar (Batinah region). Special permission to enter the premises for bird photography is hereby most gratefully acknowledged

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Two Eurasian Collared Doves, possibly juveniles?, hiding low in an acacia
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Additional information

More photos of Eurasian Collared Doves, race "decaocto", were taken in Europe.

Food, Diet

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

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves taking seeds
[Sun Farms, Sohar, May 2010]

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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