Eurasian Collared Dove, Invasive Species in Your Yard
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Do You Have an Invasive Species in Your Yard?
The Eurasian Collared Dove, is an invasive species that has spread across the United States, in record time. It remains to be seen how they will affect populations of native dove species.
You may have already seen them, and not known they were a non-native species.
You may have already seen them, and not known they were a non-native species.
Where did the Eurasian Collared Dove come from?
They are native to Asia, and Europe, but in the 1970s they were introduced to the Bahamas. From there, they migrated to Florida some time in the early 1980s. Eurasian Collared Dove Nesting in Our Oak Tree
We have had Eurasian Collared Doves visiting our yard for about 4 or 5 years, but I just recently tried to identify the species. I have seen the more common Mourning Doves all my life, so I knew they were not Mourning Doves, but I didn't know they were a non-native species, until I did some research.
This photos was taken just a day or two after we noticed this nest. They hadn't laid any eggs in it yet. There was a bad hail storm the next day, and for some reason, they abandoned the nest, and started building another nest, is a different tree.
Photo of a Eurasian Collared Dove in Flight
I noticed a couple of Eurasian Collared Doves having a territorial dispute of some sort, and while they were involved in their fight, I snapped a few photos of them in flight. This photo gives a good view of the underside of the tail feathers.
Eurasian Collared Dove Nest Building
From observing the nest in our Oak tree, and the new nest they are building in our Maple tree, I would say the nest of the Collared Dove is nothing more than a loosely arranged group of small twigs, forming a platform type nest. The material mostly used in the nests in our trees are small twigs from elm trees. While standing directly under their first nest, it was easy to see completely though the nest. Eurasian Collared Doves can breed and lay eggs up to six times in one year, with optimum conditions and climate. They usually lay 2 eggs. The eggs hatch in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks, with the baby doves leaving the nest in less than 3 weeks after hatching. Eurasian Collared Doves Are Not Good Nest Builders
I watched them for a while, and one dove would fly across the highway, get a twig, fly back, hand off the twig to the other dove, and then the other dove would drop it on our car. Then they would repeat the process over and over.
What do Baby Eurasian Doves Eat?
Adult Doves produce a substance called Pigeon Milk, or Crop Milk. Pigeon Milk is produced from the lining of the crop, and is regurgitated when the babies are ready to eat.
Another in Flight Photo
Eurasian Collared Doves
- Eurasian Collared Dove
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- Beginning this week and continuing through June, crews will be in cities, towns and suburbs across Texas, participating in the state's Urban Dove Survey, aimed at estimating how many doves - mourning, white-winged, Eurasian collared - live and nest in ...
- Don't let a foraging falcon ruffle your feathers
- Instead of a magnificent bird of prey taking up residence, a flock of obnoxious starlings and bunch of Eurasian collared doves have settled in. These pesky ?bad? birds chase away the pretty ?good? birds such as goldfinches and grosbeaks.
- Birds vs. JP Morgan
- Robins, mourning doves, Eurasian collared doves (a new arrival in the last few years), red-winged blackbirds, starlings, cowbirds, goldfinches in full breeding plumage ? all frequent visitors. A common grackle with a strange speckling of white around ...
Other Dove Species
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Do you have Eurasian Collared Doves in your area?
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AnthonyAltorenna
Mar 2, 2012 @ 10:52 pm | delete
- Very interesting with great photos! I had not heard of the Eurasian Collared Dove before, and wonder if they have spread up into our area of the Northeast. We have a flock of mourning doves that visit our feeders frequently, and I'll keep a wary eye out for their new competitors.
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goo2eyes
Nov 27, 2011 @ 3:11 pm | delete
- this dove is a little bit stupid because it builds the nest anywhere. the nests are sometimes in flat wooden roof beams and the twigs which they use for building the nest falldown at the gust of wind together with their eggs.
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Mollysue
Oct 16, 2011 @ 9:32 am | delete
- Living in Ireland, I have plenty of Collared Doves coming into the garden every day. I once counted 23 of them pecking away around the bird feeder! Although I found your lens very informative, I found some of the reports that they are hunted and killed in the US quite upsetting. I wouldn't dream of harming the Doves that come into my garden. In fact, the more the merrier!
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Tipi
Oct 7, 2011 @ 10:20 am | delete
- The Eurasian Collard Dove is new to me and I suppose they will be spreading north along the way. I wonder what the reason was that they were transplanted to the Bahamas in the first place, of course we have learned once again too late that non-native species can become invasive and affect those that are native. I sure enjoyed your story of their nest building and especially one handing a stick over for the other to drop on your car. I'm guessing other birds just shake there heads!
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puerdycat
Sep 26, 2011 @ 9:48 pm | delete
- Thanks. I've always watched the doves, and I'll have to pay attention to the varieties.
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