Rare Bird Report #: 7-B-08

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM


SPECIES:


Eurasian Collared Dove


HOW MANY:


1 videotaped


REPORTER:


Wanless Southwick
375 South 12th West
Rexburg, Idaho


REPORTER EMAIL:


wanless@southwickresearch.com


OTHER OBSERVERS:


Wife and mother-in-law saw me videotape it


DATE REPORT PREPARED:


3-11-2008


DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:


3-11-2008


LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:


Rexburg, Madison, Idaho
375 South 12th West


HABITAT:


Front Yard


CONDITIONS:


2 minutes +


DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:


Yes, during the observation


DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:


Yes, later the same day


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


Internet descriptions of the Eurasian Collared Dove


DESCRIPTION:


Neck Collar as can be seen in video taken during observation.


BEHAVIOR:


A single dove was feeding on seeds that were spilled on the ground from a a bird feeder, which was suspended from a tree limb. A Steller's Jay was also trying to feed there, but the Dove was the more agressive of the two and kept the Jay away. By the time I got my video camera, the Steller's Jay was gone.


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


I had heard a strange bird call last year and saw what I thought might be a hybrid between pigeons and Morning Doves, but never took a good look at them in 2007.


I saw a printed article about Eurasian Collared Doves, so I looked them up on the Internet. The Internet recording of the Eurasian Collared Dove's song matched what I had been hearing last year and the pictures of the bird matched what I remembered.


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


I decided to watch more closely this year and caught glimpses of a pair in our backyard tree. They obviously were not pigeons. They were bigger than Morning Doves. We have both pigeons and Morning Doves in our neighborhood.


EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):


Casual observer, but judge for yourselves from my video (if I an figure out how to email it to you.)


GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:


Well, I took an ornithology class during my Ph.D. training. I mostly use my old Peterson's "A Field Guide to Western Birds" (1961 edition) but the Eurasian Collared Dove is not in it.


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


Video ----- [Mr. Southwick submitted good quality video (5.1 MB), but it may be difficult for non-broadband users to download.
For those with dial-up access, I reformatted the video (604 KB), resulting in significant loss of quality but still showing adequate detail in my opinion.
--Stacy]