On Sunday when Bill Whan and I left before dawn in single digit temperatures to
travel two hours over monotonous terrain to look at birds' butts, I anticipated
that some folks would think this a fool's errand. I am surprised that it's not
the time, temperature or target that has raised eyebrows, but our overriding
notion that a careful observation of plumage characteristics would serve to
separate Ringed Turtle-Dove from Eurasian Collared-Dove (Euco dove).

I couldn't be happier to see a discussion of identification problems on
Ohio-birds, but I'm a bit puzzled about what I'm to do with Vic's cautionary
notes.

As I understand it, Ringed Turtle-Dove is a product of human domestication that
does not occur naturally in the wild. Like many domestic animals it is quite
variable in appearance as a result of human breeders selecting for traits that
they deem desirable. Some of the plumage variation can be seen at this
dove-breeders' webpage (http://tinyurl.com/2hw5vs).

The Eurasian Collared-Dove is a Old World species that is actively colonizing
North America following its release in the Bahamas in the 1970's. Barring
mutations, it occurs in a single wild type (at least for our practical purposes
in Ohio). They can be readily separated from Mourning Doves by their larger
size, paler plumage, squared tail, and hind-collar. Separation from Ringed
Turtle-Dove is less trivial, but two plumage characteristics have been
emphasized as key sorting criteria:

First, Ringed Turtle-doves have primaries that are only slightly darker than
the rest of the bird; whereas the primaries of the European Collared-Dove are
dark brown to black and contrast strongly with the bird's overall sandy color.
This character is easily seen, but it does require making a judgment between
"strongly contrasting" and "slightly darker".

Second, the undertail coverts of the Ringed Turtle Dove are pale and are
concolorous with the lower belly of the bird and the underside of the tail. The
base of the underside of the tail may be dark brown to black, but this black
portion is quite restricted, if it is present at all, and does not approach the
tip of the undertail coverts. In Eurasian Collared Doves, the undertail coverts
are dark gray/brown and contrast with the pale distal portion of the undertail.
The underside of the tail has an extensive dark brown/black base that extends
almost to or a little beyond the undertail coverts. Furthermore, the dark
portion of the tail extends along the outer web of the outer tail feathers well
beyond the undertail coverts.

These traits of the underparts are not always easily seen on doves due to their
penchant for ground-feeding, but with patience one can usually get the
necessary looks. Even with a relatively brief look, discriminating between dark
vs. light undertail coverts, extensive vs. minor dark undertail base, and the
presence or absence of dark outer webs on the undertail is readily
accomplished. I've assumed that making these distinctions allows the confident
separation of the two species even when they're not vocalizing.

Vic calls this into question. Given his vastly greater experience with the
species, it's hardly surprising that he's seen a greater range of variation
than I have, and I'm happy to have this variation called to my attention. I'm
just not sure what the import of this variation is, or how it impacts my
ability to recognize European Collared-Doves in the field.

The parts of Vic's post that I find most perplexing are

>   I have had the experience of looking at 12 Eurasian
>   Collared-Doves lined up on a wire in my Lawton, OK
>   backyard and no two were alike.

My question is "How did you know there was only one species?". Were all 12
vocalizing, or do you have some other sorting criteria?


>   I frequently observed birds [Eurasian Collared-Doves]
>   with plumage variation akin to that seen in Rock
>   Pigeons.

Are you implying that Euco doves can't be recognized based on plumage
characteristics, or merely that some "good" Euco doves mimic Ringed
Turtle-Doves? Isn't it more likely that all this plumage variation is a result
of domestic varieties of Ringed Turtle Dove escaping to the wild where they
begin to regress away from the named types illustrated on the dove breeders'
webpage. What allows you to be sure that such aberrant forms are Euco doves?
What's the sorting criteria?

>   Pale birds of
>   large size in the past have been dismissed owing to
>   their departure from the "wild type" depicted in field
>   guides for Eurasian Collared Doves.

Isn't this the appropriate null hypothesis? Shouldn't we assume a bird not
matching the characteristics of Euco Dove is not a Euco Dove?

This sentence also seems to suggest that Eurasian Collared-Dove exists in
multiple varieties as does the Ringed Turtle Dove. Ringed Turtle Doves are
variable because they're domesticants maintained by human-controlled selective
breeding. I'm not aware that Euco Doves have been domesticated. They're not
even considered the wild progenitor of Ringed Turtle Dove. African
Collared-Dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea) currently has that distinction. Why do
you think there are other "types" of Euco Dove? How do you know they're not
Ringed Turtle Doves regressing towards their wild type, or hybrids?

Another way of asking this is "When should I think a dove departing from the
"wild type" Euco dove is, in fact, still a Euco Dove?"

Lastly, are you suggesting we have can only separate the two species by
vocalization?

Best regards,
Paul
(Who's very happy to work on the doves today without having to be out there
with them.)



--- Victor Fazio <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I am very glad that someone has been able to
>   add the species to the winter atlas project. West Manchester
>   straddle two priority blocks I first visited last winter and
>   spent two days covering this past week. Despite 4 visits to the
>   location for the recent sightings, I failed to locate any
>   Eurasian Collared-Doves. As I have made a deliberate
>   effort to map the species' distribution in sw. Oklahoma
>   the past 3 years, I'd like to think I have a pretty good
>   search image but clearly they can be hit and miss.
>   In addition to West Manchester, I have investigated
>   about 30 similar communities along the Indiana
>   line north to Fort Recovery ... with no luck.
>
>   As to the pale bird ... how big is it? ... EUCO is huge
>   compared to a Mounring Dove. Ringed Turtle-Dove
>   is of a slender build the same
>   size or smaller than a Mourning Dove. Pale birds of
>   large size in the past have been dismissed owing to
>   their departure from the "wild type" depicted in field
>   guides for Eurasian Collared Doves. However, these
>   field marks apparently are based on original stock.
>   In Lawton, Oklahoma this summer densities of
>   Eurasian Collared Doves reached the point
>   where 100 birds could be found while running
>   errands about town. I frequently observed birds
>   with plumage variation akin to that seen in Rock
>   Pigeons. Wholly or partial leucism is not uncommon.
>   It is strange to see within the NGS 5th ed. primary
>   color for example depicted as a distinction to be
>   made ... darker in Eurasian Collared-Dove ... when
>   the latter may sport wholly white primaries.
>
>   I have had the experience of looking at 12 Eurasian
>   Collared-Doves lined up on a wire in my Lawton, OK
>   backyard and no two were alike. Now whether this
>   owes something to genetic baggage from crosses with
>   Ringed Turtle-Dove or perhaps the consequences
>   of natural in-breeding (peripheral colonists unable to find
>   mates not closely related) we can only speculate. But
>   observers should be aware that pale variants of
>   Eurasian Collared-Doves including those matching the
>   description thus far given of the Manchester bird,
>   do exist.
>
>   I understand that in establishing records in the early going,
>   bird records committees will want to err on the side of
>   caution ... but if we are to map what no doubt is an ongoing
>   spread into the state, we need to appreciate some of the
>   plumage variation exhibited in many Eurasian Collared-Doves.
>
>   cheers
>
>   Vic Fazio
>   Shaker Hts, OK
>
>
>
>
> Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>   Brother Gardner and I made a pilgrimage out to West Manchester (DeLorme
> 64A 2/3) this morning, the scene of what are--as far as anyone knows, or
> at least tells--the only Eurasian collared-doves remaining from this
> year's mini-invasion.
> John Habig and Rick Asamoto had sent photos of three ECDs accompanied
> by a strange fourth bird, and we wanted to check them out. West
> Manchester is not large, nor was it very busy at 830 am (everyone must
> have been at church), so we soon found the four birds at feeders at 200
> Walnut St on the west side of Rte 127, accompanied by mourning doves.
> One, which looked at least to share the genus Streptopelia, was not an
> ECD; colored like vanilla ice cream dribbled with butterscotch, it was
> probably an African collared-dove S. roseogrisea, a non-established
> domesticated form we once knew as the ringed turtle-dove. This one was
> obviously the result of some determined aviculture. We got good looks at
> two of the other three, and they showed all the field marks of wild
> ECDs; one even seemed mildly interested in my amateurish imitation of
> their call.
> That there were three ECDs is consistent with John's observation of a
> juvenile there in September, which confirmed the first breeding of this
> newcomer to Ohio. We couldn't find any ECDs in Fort Jefferson up the
> road, and upon returning we didn't refind them at Walnut St, but they
> must have been around somewhere. Looks like this species, as in so many
> other places, is here to stay.
> Bill Whan
> Columbus
>
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>
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
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> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
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Paul Gardner
Columbus, OH

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