Thanks to all for reflections on your sightings--or not--of this bird in
Ohio. I recall interesting exchanges in this forum a few years back, and
you can read about the ever-growing numbers of this introduced species
in the US.  But not, it seems, in Ohio. We foresaw its future better
than many western birders.
        This prolific species entered the US via Bermuda not all that long ago.
You will not find it included in Peterjohn's "The Birds of Ohio," for
example in the 2001 edition. The birds probably came from Europe, having
in turn arisen in the far East. They flourished, and spread via a strict
route aimed northwest: they flew over the Alps and France and Britain,
then ran out of territory up in Ireland.
        They flourished in the US too--based on recent releases in Bermuda, and
stubbornly headed in the same direction, ending in Alaska. If you look
at a good US range map--I'm looking at p. 266 of the National Geographic
bird guide--you'll see they took a beeline northwest from Florida, with
little presence northeast; Ohio isn't involved; Indiana and Minnesota
show light populations, and every state west of there has plenty of Euco
doves.
        Recent reports from Ohio birders show that map is still up to date;
Eurasian collared-doves stubbornly move northwest, and here in Ohio up
to New England misled doves are hard to find. I recommend Troy Shively's
post on this species if you're looking for one; in keeping with their
propensities, the western areas of Ohio have more than the east.
        Here in Columbus, smack-dab in the center, a few are probably still
around, but very seldom seen. If you head west, you'll start seeing them
in Indiana, and by the time you reach Illinois, they'll be yawners.
Based on what I hear, these doves are even scarcer than they were a
decade ago, despite all the effusions about their presence elsewhere.
        Their stubborn insistence on flight direction is unique: we have a lot
of species distributed by north-south and east-west boundaries, but few
with such a unique SE-NW distribution. We knew about this route ten
years ago, and it seems to be just as persistent today.
Bill Whan


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