The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) belongs to the family of doves and pigeons, Columbidae.
The Eurasian collared dove species are distributed in Indian subcontinent, central Asia, west Asia, Africa, Europe, America and Japan. These dove species are non-migratory, but strongly dispersive. These doves are monotypic species.
Eurasian collared dove - Overview
- Scientific name: Streptopelia decaocto
- Species author: (Frivaldszky, 1838)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Columba risoria Linnaeus var. Columba decaocto Frivaldszky, 1838
- Family: Columbidae › Columbiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Eurasian collared dove, Chinese: 灰斑鸠, French: Tourterelle turque, German: Türkentaube, Spanish: Tórtola turca, Russian: Кольчатая горлица, Japanese: シラコバト, Tamil: Kalli Pura
- Other names: Indian Ring Dove, Indian Ring-necked Dove, Pink-headed Dove
- Distribution: Indian subcontinent, central Asia, west Asia, Africa, Europe
- Diet and feeding habits: fruits, cereals, grains, shoots, insects
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
Appearance, physical description and identification
The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a medium-sized dove, measuring 32 cm in length. The wingspan is 45 to 55 cm.The Eurasian collared doves show sexual dimorphism and the males are larger weighing 150 to 260 grams whereas the females weigh 110 to 200 grams. The overall plumage is pinkish gray. The upperparts are a little darker than the lowerparts. There is a bluish gray underwing patch. The mantle is sandy brown.
There is a black half-collar on the nape edged with white. The tail is relatively long. The tail is buff-gray above and the undertail is dark gray and is tipped white. The outer tail feathers are tipped white. The bill is blackish and the tip of the upper mandible is hooked.
The irises are red and the eyering is white. The juveniles have poorly developed black collar and brown irises. The legs are short and reddish in color. The Eurasian collared dove call is a cooing "co.coo.co...co.coo.co...co.coo.co." sound.
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| Birds of India - Image of Eurasian collared dove - Streptopelia decaocto by Tony Hisgett |
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| Indian birds - Picture of Eurasian collared dove - Streptopelia decaocto by Dhaval Vargiya |
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| Birds of India - Photo of Eurasian collared dove - Streptopelia decaocto by Iruka |
Origin, geographical range and distribution
The Eurasian collared dove species are distributed in Indian subcontinent, corner of northeast and northwest Africa, China, North Korea, South Korea, central Asia, Middle East, much of Europe and Mediterranean region.In 1974, about 50 Eurasian collared doves escaped captivity in Bahamas and spread to United states and also to Caribbean Islands and Mexico. They have also been introduced into Japan.
In India, these Eurasian collared dove species are distributed in all the states, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Surprisingly, they do not occur in the southeast Asian countries.
Ecosystem and habitat
These Eurasian collared dove species do not normally occur in forest. These species occur in altitudes from 0 to 4500 meters.The artificial ecosystems of these birds include agricultural fields, farm houses, grain storage buildings, plantations, rural gardens, heavily degraded forests, urban parks and uninhabited buildings.
The natural ecosystems of these Eurasian dove species include tropical and subtropical dry shrublands, semi-deserts, arid country-side, boreal shrublands and temperate shrublands.
Diet and feeding behavior
The diet of these Eurasian collared dove species is mostly seeds. Cereals, grains, wild seeds, fruits, berries, plant material and invertebrates are their primary food. These birds feed on the ground.These Eurasian dove species are opportunistic feeders, feeding around farms on grain stocks, spilled grains while handling, spilt grain and livestock feeds.
Reproduction and breeding habits
The breeding season of these Eurasian collared dove species is from March to October in most of the temperate regions. In South India and in regions with warm climate breeding occurs throughout the year. Three to four broods may be raised in a year.These Eurasian collared doves are monogamous. The male courtship display includes ritual flight. They nest on trees and in uninhabited buildings. The nest is made with sticks and twigs.
The typical clutch contains 2 white eggs. The male incubates during the day and the female incubates during the night. The chicks hatch out in 15-18 days and young fledge in 15-20 days.
The parents initially feed the hatchlings with crop milk, a suspension of protein-rich and fat-rich cells, detached from the highly proliferating lining of the crop.
Migration and movement patterns
The Eurasian collared dove species are non-migratory, resident birds.These doves are strongly dispersive species and introduced birds have established in United States, Mexico and Japan. The birds in higher altitudes of Himalayas may move to lower levels during winter.
Post breeding, the juvenile Eurasian doves may disperse and establish in new locations within the range. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range.
Conservation and survival
The global population size of the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is estimated to be between 60,000,000 to 110,000,000 individual birds. The overall population trend of these species is considered to be increasing. Throughout its range it is reported to be common to abundant. The generation length is 5.3 years. Their distribution size is about 93,400,000 sq.km.The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion, or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion. There are no known serious threats that may endanger the survival of these Eurasian collared dove species.
IUCN and CITES status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the species and has listed it as of "Least Concern". The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto).| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Streptopelia decaocto | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Streptopelia |
| Species: | S. decaocto |
| Binomial name: | Streptopelia decaocto |
| IUCN status listing: |
 Least Concern |
1.Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collard_Dove_(8525817722).jpg (cropped)
Author: Tony Hisgett | License: CC BY 2.0 as on 5/7/17
2.Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian_Collared_Dove_at_Kutch.jpg (cropped)
Author: Dhaval Vargiya | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
3.Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collared_Dove_-upper_body_profile-8.jpg (cropped)
Author: Iruka at English Wikipedia | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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