Record #: 51-B-07
IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM
SPECIES: Eurasian Collared-Dove
HOW MANY: 4
REPORTER: Stacy Jon Peterson
20252 Lucas Ave
Eagle River, Alaska
99577
907-441-4963
REPORTER EMAIL: SJPeterson@aol.com
OTHER OBSERVERS: none (but my parents, who live about 2 miles from this sighting reported one in their yard a couple weeks later...).
DATE REPORT PREPARED: 2 July 2007
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 28 May 2007
LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Corner of Hwy 30 and Hwy 44 -- just off the Middleton exit of I-84, Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho. In the ballfield behind the church at that intersection.
HABITAT: open, weedy softball field
CONDITIONS: I had ample time to view these birds in varying sun conditions as they flew around, flirted with each other, and foraged on the ground for about 20 minutes total. Skies were clear. I used B&L Elite 10x42 binoculars and a Canon 20D digital camera with 100-400 zoom lens.
DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, another day after the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: Sibley, NGS, and various websites dealing with Eurasian Collared-Dove and Ringed Turtle-Dove identification.
DESCRIPTION: As can be seen by the photos (available at: http://www.pbase.com/stacyjon/eurasian_collareddove), these are doves by body shape and plumage. The darker brown primaries were looked for and noted, as was the pale patch at the base of the primaries that separates the browner back from the darker primaries (a feature useful in separating Ringed Turtle-Doves from Eurasian Collared Doves). Also noted and photographed was the white edging to the black neck collar -- also a feature supporting Eurasian Collared Dove. Same with the darker undertail coverts. The tail was broadly tipped in white, a feature again seen on several photos. Aside from this, the subtleties of plumage can be seen in the various poses in which these birds were photographed.
BEHAVIOR: The birds (4 of them total) interacted regularly with each other, some puffing up their neck feathers and cooing at the others (courtship), and various chasing and following patterns of behavior were also observed. The cooing was very distinctive and was immediately recognized from my years spent living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where this species is abundant. It was a three-syllable "coo" (coo - coo - coo) with the middle syllable accented and longer than the other two. The last syllable was shortest and ended upbruptly. It has been many years since I've heared Ringed Turtle-Doves in southern California (when we lived there), so I can't compare the calls directly, but I understand from the literature that Ringed Turtle-Dove calls are two-syllable and not anything like those of Eurasian Collared-Doves.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? I saw two of these birds (at least two Eurasian Collared-Doves, perhaps not the same individuals) at this very same location the previous year. I reported them at that time, and the record is currently in IBRC 2nd round circulation as Record #: 19-B-06. Unfortunately the written documentation I provided for that sighting may have been insufficient to eliminate Ringed Turtle-Dove. I'm hoping this photographic documentation and write-up are more complete. These birds were positively IDed this year by the combination of characters (both voice and plumage) mentioned above that distinguish them from Ringed Turtle-Doves.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Ringed Turtle-Dove is the only similar species with a blackish neck ring and overall tan coloration. It was eliminated by voice, darker primaries, darker undertail coverts, presence of white at edge of black collar, and darker overall coloration. Each of these features are shown in the various photographs which accompany this report.
EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I've seen hundreds of these birds in the Gulf Coast and dozens of them in southern California where they are now common (and presumably from the eastern populations and not a feral population from Ventura) in Brawley (Imperial County).
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Been birding since 1984 across the USA. Advanced level.
WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: Photos