IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Eurasian Collared-Dove

REPORTER:

Stacy Jon Peterson
20252 Lucas Ave
Eagle River, AK 99577
907-441-4963 (cell)
SJPeterson@aol.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

Terry Peterson
22895 Channel Road
Caldwell, ID 83607
208-454-6572
pegterson@wmconnect.com

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

6 June 2006

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

6 June 2006

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

corner of Old Hwy 30 & Hwy 44
Oregon Trail Church of God parking lot (in elm tree at rear of parking lot)
Caldwell, Canyon County

HABITAT:

perched in single elm tree adjacent to open parking lot and rural "weedy" expanse next to I-86. Adjacent community is largely rural to the north and agricultural to the south.

CONDITIONS:

Clear, hot (mid 80s), light breeze. No optics used -- we parked adjacent to the elm tree and observed one perched in the open. It flushed after we excited the car, and another flushed out of the tree as we searched for a nest (unusuccessfully). Sun was in our eyes part of the time, but the birds flew all around us and we had good views in the shade of the perched bird.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

No, not at all

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

No, not at all

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:

none

DESCRIPTION:

Both doves were paler and slightly larger than Mourning Doves (though slightly smaller in general appearance than the ECDOs I've seen in Mississippi). The lower edge of the tail (both underside and top) was white, but rounded and not pointed as Mourning Dove. There was a darker band near the base of the tail. On the perched bird, we observed the dark "crescent line" along the lower nape of the neck.

BEHAVIOR:

Aside from perching in the elm tree, we observed both birds in flight from the tree to an adjacent telephone pole where we they alit and remained until we drove away. Both birds were silent.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?

I identified the bird conclusively as soon as I observed the undertail on the perched bird facing us. When both birds flew, we identified them by the tail pattern and different wing shape than either Mourning or Rock doves/pigeons.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?

Rock Pigeon is larger, with different flight styles (deeper flaps) and white uppertail coverts. Mourning Doves lack black crescent at the nape and have a pointed tail without the blackish base. White-winged Doves have white-wing patches.

The only "species" that we could not conclusive eliminate is the "Ringed Turtle-dove" -- some authorities consider this not a "true" species anyway. The rapid expanse of apparently "pure" Eurasian Collared-Doves across Idaho suggests that it is likely these birds in SW Idaho are part of that expansion.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I lived in coastal Mississippi for 3 years where these doves border on abundant. I've also birded all over the southeastern Gulf Coast and Florida where they're also very common.

Mourning Dove is ubiquitous and is easily identifiable.

White-winged Dove is very common in the south, and I've observed them on many, many occassions in the southwestern United States from southern California through Texas / Louisiana.

I have observed "Ringed Turtle-dove" in southern California many years ago when they were more common. If I have a chance to observe these birds (the collared-doves in Caldwell) with optics in the future, I'll likely be able to address whether or not these 2 birds in Caldwell approach this "race."

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

I've been birding since 1984, and would consider myself very well-prepared to identify this species (except given the caveat about "Ringed Turtle-dove" mentioned above).

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?:

None