19-05-2025
Birds of Ireland: Collared dove
Collared Dove | Fearán baicdhubh | Streptopelia decaocto
A collared dove is about 30-32 centimetres long with a wing span of 49-53cm.
They are a common breeding species found in farmland and in gardens here all year around.
A collared dove is slightly smaller than a jackdaw and both sexes look similar. They have a short, thin, dark beak; dark red eyes;
short, powdery-pink legs. Collared doves of all ages have sandy-brown plumage, dark brown primaries, and a distinctive (but not always noticeable) thin, black half-collar at the base of their neck. Recently fledged birds have no half collar.
In flight a collared dove looks sandy-brown with darker wing tips visible as are the pale tips to most tail feathers, and their large, white undertail band.
A collared dove flies straight with fast, jerky wingbeats. For its display behaviour a collared dove glides with stiff, slightly downcurved wings/fanned tail, showing pale under-wing/white undertail with black band at base.
Its voice is a gentle cooing sound phrased like ' can yoouuu coo' repeated twice or more.
Birds of Ireland: Collared dove
Tip of the week:
Separating the calls of the collared dove and woodpigeon is easy if you remember that collared doves seem to say, ' Can yoouuu coo ... can yoouuu coo ...', while the similar-sounding woodpigeon 'says' ' take two, John, take two'. There are some very reliable websites with excellent libraries of bird sounds, such as
Doves and pigeons are characterised by very short legs, small heads and cooing calls. The most common member of this group is the woodpigeon, which can be a serious pest to farmers. The most recent arrival is the collared dove, unheard of here before 1959, and now widespread and common.
Featured in Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide, (Gill Books) by Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody
Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody
Jim Wilson is a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader, and former chairman of BirdWatch Ireland. He has been involved in the study and conservation of birds in Ireland for more than 45 years, contributing to several major surveys and international projects.
Mark Carmody is an award-winning wildlife photographer, has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European patent attorney.
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