Saturday 12 July 2014

Collared Foreigners.

A few wet periods this past week so I had to content myself with shooting some of my regular garden visitors through the window!

Until the mid 1900's the [Eurasian] Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) was a rarity in the UK. An inexplicable westward surge brought this delicate dusty grey Dove, which originates from the Indian subcontinent, to Britain from Asia. Breeding in the UK was first recorded in Norfolk in 1955 and since then their numbers have sky-rocketed to make them one of our top 10 most common garden birds.

From just four birds known to be present in 1955 the population exploded to a conservative estimate of 15,000 to 25,000 pairs in 1970 [Hudson 1972] and to around 990,000 pairs in 2009. There is little evidence to explain the drivers behind this increase but it appears this species has been able to fill an empty niche and exploit the intermittent seed resources available in gardens and may also have benefited from our milder winters. [Source: BTO birdtrends].

"Mmmm .... I wonder how long that Starling is going to hog the feeder?"

 "Perhaps if we ignore him, he'll eventually go away".

"I think the coast is now clear".

This species was also unknown in North America until the 1970's. Following its introduction to the Bahamas it spread to mainland Florida in the early 1980s, and in the following decades throughout the southeastern United States. Since 2000, Eurasian Collared Doves have spread all over the United States and southern Canada, and more recently have invaded Mexico, Belize, and parts of Costa Rica. So far, to my knowledge,  research has not indicated that its range expansion has had any impact on the native avifauna. [Source: ebird.org]   FAB.

Linking to I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'  and Wild Bird Wednesday.

22 comments:

  1. I saw one or two of the Collard Doves in Los Angeles when I lived there in the late ,80s. However the European Starling has taken over, pushing hard on native woodpeckers, bluebirds and other cavity nesters.

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  2. they're spreading here, now, too. :)

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  3. I love this dove. It always seems to be very peaceful to me. I have 2 that come often to mt garden. These shots are great and I love the narrative .

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  4. Aren't they beautiful!? And they look especially stunning on that perch!

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  5. He or she seemed quite curious.

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  6. They are so beautiful !

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  7. They are beautiful birds.
    Karin

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  8. HiFrank!
    Such lovely photos of the Collared dove!
    They have found a niche indeed but hopefully they shouldn't interfere with the Wood dove's habitat since they seem to have settled closer to garden cities.
    I have really enjoyed the dragon slide show, gorgeous pics you took!
    Enjoy your sunday!

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  9. What beautiful images!. I find these doves to be quite shy where we live.There is usually a couple on the farm, but they tend to perch on our TV areal, which is not nearly as pretty an image as in your picture.

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  10. Such adorable creatures and such clean windows, Frank! ...:)JP

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  11. Your doves are beautiful and fantastic captured of them!

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  12. Loved reading your narration and the 'coast is clear' commentary. I learned that they originated on the Indian Continent...didn't know that 'til this morning. Wonderful, beautiful doves.

    Thank you, for linking up this weekend. Much appreciated.

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  13. I love the dialog! :)) Beautiful doves.

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  14. Amazing bird images. Love the shallow depth of field.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  15. They are beautiful. I hope they do not have any impact on the Mourning Dove population here.

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  16. Beautiful images. We have one that visits us from time to time and you can definitely tell the difference from the Mourning Doves. They are larger and have lighter colored feathers. I think they are stunning doves.

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  17. Thats interesting Frank. I have four that are often on my feeders.

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  18. Great photos of very pretty birds. Good to know that they are not having an impact on native species.

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  19. They are sweet birds, lovely shots!

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  20. These birds are taking over the world! They are rather beautiful, but for some reason here in Tucson, they hang out in certain places. While they are very common, there are pockets around town where they are not seen. They definitely have not come to my backyard feeders.

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  21. As is the case with the European Starling, we are so used to seeing and hearing the Eurasian Collard-Doves that we no longer consider them "foreigners." Very nice detailed images, Frank!

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I hope you enjoyed your visit and I always appreciate your comments and feedback.

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