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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