Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Summary 2
The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), most often simply called the collared dove, also sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian collared-dove, is a species of dove native to warm temperate and subtropical Asia, and introduced in North America in the 1980s. In the latter half of the 20th century the species' native range vastly expanded, and it can now be found from Southeast Asia through to Western Europe. It is a medium-sized dove, ranging from 11.4 to 11.8 inches long. It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey under wing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey tipped white below; the outer tail feathers also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar edged with white on its nape from which it gets its name. The short legs are red and the bill is black. The iris is red, but from a distance the eyes appear to be black, as the pupil is relatively large and only a narrow rim of reddish-brown iris can be seen around the black pupil. The eye is surrounded by a small area of bare skin, which is either white or yellow. The two sexes are virtually indistinguishable; juveniles differ in having a poorly developed collar, and a brown iris. It can be commonly spotted in the COSA year-round.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Heather Paul, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/warriorwoman531/8129491756/
- Adapted by dirstine from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptopelia_decaocto
