Rare Bird Report #: 77-B-07
SPECIES:
Eurasian
Collared -Dove
HOW MANY:
2 Adults
REPORTER:
Jan M. Rose
Hcr 62, Box 140
Moyie Springs, ID 83845
208-267-7791
REPORTER EMAIL:
avianplts@coldreams.com
OTHER OBSERVERS:
Allen and Jan Rose,
Jim and Merry
McConnor
440-257-2507, Jan's brother and sister-in-law, avid and excellent
birders, visiting from Ohio
DATE REPORT PREPARED:
8/8/2007
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:
July 10, 2007
LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:
Bonners Ferry, Boundary County, McCall
Street, power poles about 2 blocks behind Beck's Furniture store-- for 1st
bird. After observing this bird we got back in car and drove down the street--
a 100 yards? and followed the street around sharp righthand curve--observed
another bird--got out of car and watched this adult dove fly from one power
pole to another, then stay perched for more observation.
HABITAT:
suburban street, houses and yards, lawns and trees, but fairly open
habitat
CONDITIONS:
Observed 1 adult sitting on top of an
electric lines power pole --parked car and got out, observed the bird for about
10 minutes from underneath and from the side...distance about 35 feet in the
air, sunny, late afternoon about 4 PM and hot, 85-90 degrees, moved our
position so we were not looking into the sun. Bird sat still, did turn around
once to watch us, did not fly. Allen and Jan Rose both used Pentax 8 x 42
binoculars. Jim and Merry McConnor both used binoculars of comparable and/or
better quality. Bird could easily be identified with the naked eye also at this
close range.
DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:
Yes, later the same
day
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:
Yes,
during the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU
CONSULT?:
The SIBLEY Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by
David Allen Sibley, Jan. 2005,3rd Printing
DESCRIPTION:
Family: Columbidae/Pigeons and Doves. 1st impression upon seeing the bird was
that of a Ringed Turtle-Dove---black band on the back of the neck stood-out as
well as its larger size compared to that of a Mourning Dove or White-winged
dove. Bird's overall body coloring was very light, but not white. Could not see
its feet but the undertail field marks were very distinctive--complete white
bottom of the lower 1/2 of tail. Dark Gray undertail coverts with black
feathers forming a vertical band on either side of them very distinctive.
BEHAVIOR:
1st bird observed just sat perched, turned once around
to more closely watch us...
2nd bird we observed --thru
binoculars--fly from one power pole to another--a distance of 50-60? feet, land
and then stay perched for a few minutes. As it flew all undertail field marks
clearly visible, body color,size and upon landing we could clearly see the
black neck-ring. Bird was obviously a dove, larger than a Mourning dove but
similar silhouette as it flew except for rounded broad tail, not pointed.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE
IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?
Jim McConnor identified the 1st bird as
Eurasian Collared-Dove within a minute of observation, citing the distinct
undertail pattern of lower 1/2 white with the vertical black bands on either
side of the gray undertail coverts--he described these to me, Allen and I
observed, then looked up bird in the above reference book, observed the bird
again and picked out the field marks for ourselves. Jim has seen and identified
this species on 4-5 other occasions--most, maybe all, of these observations
took place in Florida. When we observed the 2nd dove in flight we all 4 hailed
out the field marks and concluded that this bird is also a Eurasian
Collared-Dove, so concluded that maybe this was a pair--as they were only 100
yards away from each other and seemingly the only ones around.
HOW DID
YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?
Bird's overall body
color was not white nor as light as a Ringed Turtle-Dove, though upon first
impression this is what it seemed to be due to the distinctive black neck-band.
Definitely a dove-like bird, shape of head, body form, beak--black, short,
rounded slightly. Sitting, blinking and staring at us as we looked at it, was
too large to be a Mourning dove and lighter in color. Perched bird with tail
folded -- the tail was squared off at end, not pointed as in a Mourning
Dove.This bird was not a Pigeon, slimmer in form than a Rock-Dove/Pigeon,
colors not the same, no white cere on top of beak
EXPERIENCE WITH
THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):
This was a first sighting for
Allen and Jan but the 5th or 6th for Jim and Merry McConnor
GENERAL
BIRDING EXPERIENCE:
Jan has been birding and keeping a Life-List
since she was 18 or about 40 years now...a long-time member of Audubon--she
used to be one of the leaders for the Boundary County Christmas Bird Count for
many years. She is a good to very good birder. Jim McConnor is an Excellent
birder--has been avidly pursuing it for 11 years.
WERE PHOTO(S),
VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?:
None