Bird ID from description?

davedotcom · #1 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 08:59 PM

Hi fellow WABbers,

I'm very much a novice at IDing birds, only just getting started, and saw one today that I didn't know. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera so can only provide a description but I'm hoping someone can help.

It was certainly like a pigeon but not the size of a Wood Pigeon, much more streamline. It was a very light brown/grey colour and had a very clear black collar.

I've done some googling but can't find a UK resident match.

Any suggestions?

tigertom · #2 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 09:05 PM

Collard dove very common in some parts

MIKE

John_M · #3 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 09:07 PM

Possibly collared dove Streptopelia decaocto.

willowjay · #4 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 09:08 PM

Aaahh you beat me to it! Dave, just google images of Collared dove and I think you'll get a match for your bird.

faz · #5 (**permalink**) 09-01-2012, 02:35 AM

sounds very much like a collared dove to me

davedotcom · #6 (**permalink**) 09-01-2012, 06:23 AM

Aha! I googled 'ring necked dove' and 'ring necked pigeon' rather than collared. The results for 'ring necked' brought back African and Asian species, hence my confusion!

Thanks all!

RoyW · #7 (**permalink**) 09-01-2012, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davedotcom

Aha! I googled 'ring necked dove' and 'ring necked pigeon' rather than collared. The results for 'ring necked' brought back African and Asian species, hence my confusion!

Thanks all!

Collared Dove is an Asian species. First recorded in the UK in 1954 after sweeping rapidly across Europe. Try googling for information on their colonisation of Europe (at the beginning of the 20th century they were found no closer than Turkey).

Dogghound · #8 (**permalink**) 09-01-2012, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyW

Collared Dove is an Asian species.

Surely was an Asian species but now a Eurasian species.

RoyW · #9 (**permalink**) 09-01-2012, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Surely was an Asian species but now a Eurasian species.

Yes...
But I wanted to tie in with Dave.com's post, and while calling it a Eurasian species tells you more it's still correct to say that it's an Asian species (or a European or even British species).

Collared Dove may well have been one of the Asian species that came up in Dave's searches (perhaps under a different name) - I realise that won't have helped Dave much though!