Eurasian Collared-Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Compiled by Lisa S. Graham. 

The Eurasian Collared-Dove is a familiar sight in towns, farms, and suburbs—from fenceposts and power lines to backyard feeders and telephone wires. Originally native to parts of Asia, this dove has staged a dramatic range expansion, spreading across Europe and into North America where it’s now common across much of the continent.

Medium-sized at roughly 11–13 inches long, with a plump body, long tail, and relatively small head, this dove has overall pale gray to buff plumage with a slightly pinkish wash on the breast.  The most diagnostic mark is the narrow black “collar” or half-ring on the nape edged in white. Its eyes are dark with a pale eye ring; its legs and feet are pinkish. In flight notice their broad, rounded wings and white tips on the outer tail feathers that flash when they take off.  Both sexes look similar; juveniles are browner and lack the clean collar until they mature.

These birds are highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes—towns, suburbs, farms, parks, and orchards are all prime habitats. Native to Asia, they expanded through Europe in the 20th century and reached North America in the 1970s. Today they are widespread across the lower 48 states and parts of Canada, often becoming one of the most conspicuous doves where they occur.

Eurasian Collared-Doves are mostly ground foragers: they feed on seeds, grains, and cultivated crops, and will take scraps and birdseed at feeders. They also eat some fruit and berries.

They’re typically seen singly, in pairs, or in loose flocks and are gregarious around reliable food sources. Their flight is steady and direct, with regular wingbeats.  Vocalizations are a series of coos—soft, rolling “coo-COO-coo”—delivered from perches or during courtship. Males perform display flights and bowing displays to attract mates.  

Their nests are simple, loose platforms of twigs often placed in trees, shrubs, on buildings, or even on ledges. Pairs may produce multiple clutches per search, typically of two white eggs each time. Both parents share incubation duties (about 12–15 days) and feed the young crop milk followed by regurgitated seeds. Young usually fledge about 12–15 days after hatching.  Their high reproductive rate and willingness to nest in small or novel sites contribute to their rapid population growth.

The Eurasian Collared-Dove is a textbook example of a species that thrives alongside people. Its soft coos and casual presence on suburban wires make it easy to spot and easy to identify.  You’ll likely see them at feeders filled with millet or cracked corn. 

Some fun facts about the Eurasian Collared-Dove:

• Rather than scooping water into their bills as they drink, they submerge them and suck water up like a straw.
• They can produce up to six broods per year.
• Their scientific name, decaocto, comes from a Greek myth about a servant girl (decaocto means “eighteen”), whose story the dove’s call supposedly repeats.

Sources include All About Birds (Cornell) and Audubon Field Guide.   Photo credit:  Eurasian Collared-Dove – Jim Merritt, Macaulay Library.