Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 11.4–11.8 in
29–30 cm - Wingspan
- 13.8 in
35 cm - Weight
- 4.9–6.3 oz
140–180 g
Other Names
- Tourterelle turque (French)
- Tórtola (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Eurasian Collared-Dove has spread rapidly across much of North America. It made a similar expansion across Europe in the 1900s. It is thought that the species occurred historically only in and around India, and that a massive expansion in the 1600s brought it into Turkey and the Balkans.
- The Eurasian Collared-Dove is often kept as a pet. The occurrence of the species in some areas of the United States can be traced not to the dispersal of wild breeders, but to escaped or released cage birds.
- The domesticated Ringed Turtle-Dove is similar to the Eurasian Collared-Dove, and it frequently escapes or is released from captivity. The occurrence of the first Eurasian Collared-Doves in the United States went unnoticed for quite a while because of confusion with feral Ringed Turtle-Doves. The two species occasionally hybridize in wild populations.
Habitat
Town
Found in urban, suburban, and agricultural areas where grain is available.
Food
Seeds
Seeds and cereal grain; some insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2 eggs
- Egg Description
- White, slightly glossy.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with some down.
Nest Description
Nest made of twigs, stems, roots, and grasses. Placed in trees.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds mostly on ground.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations increasing and spreading. May become an agricultural pest where it eats and fouls grain.
Credits
- Romagosa, C. M. 2002. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). In The Birds of North America, No. 630 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.