Eurasian Collared-Dove

About the Eurasian Collared-Dove

The Eurasian Collared-Dove is a large, pale dove, sandy gray-buff overall, with a narrow black half-collar on the back of the neck. It is noticeably bigger and paler than a Mourning Dove, and its tail is broad and squared off rather than pointed. In flight the underside of the tail shows a dark base and wide white tips, and the bird often glides in on stiff, slightly bowed wings.

Originally a bird of South Asia, the species spread across Europe during the twentieth century. It reached the Bahamas in the 1970s, then Florida, and from there it swept across North America in only a few decades, one of the fastest bird colonizations ever documented. In Texas it is now common in almost every town, farmyard, and grain elevator.

Collared-doves nest in trees and on buildings, building a flimsy platform of twigs, and they can raise several broods a year in a mild climate. The male's song is a monotonous three-note coo, and on landing they often give a harsh, nasal call. They feed mostly on seeds and spilled grain.

These photos come from the Granger Lake area in Williamson County on July 11, 2024.