Collared Doves - Hebridean Birds
Western Isles Birds - Collared Doves. The Collared Dove is small, slim dove with quite a long tail.
These birds have fared extraordinarily well since it first colonised Britain in the mid 1950s.
The collared doves are white with pinkish-buff plumage and a distinctive black collar edged with white.
The wingtips are dark grey, the bill grey and the feet brown-red. In flight, the tail is black with a broad white band at the end
| Bird Overview - Collared Doves |
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Latin name |
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Population |
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Similar Species |
Mourning Dove
Ring Turtle Dove
White Winged Dove |
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| Description |
The collared doves are distinctive with their buff-pink plumage and black neck collar.
These doves are usually seen singly or in pairs. Where food is plentiful - the doves may form flocks.
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| Size |
| 31-33 cm (12-13") - 170-240 g (6-8 oz) |
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| Habitat |
These birds can be seen on sea coasts, moorlands, fields and rivers. The birds in the Western Isles breed in varied places - sand dunes, shingle banks also frequently inland on moorland
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| Food |
These birds Collared doves mainly feed on seeds but they will also take berries and other plant material.
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| Voice |
The monotonous, loud cooing song of the Collared Dove sounds like "coo-Coo-coo", but is perhaps best remembered as either "u-nit-ed" or "I don't know".
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| Breeding |
Collared doves usually nest in trees, but nowadays you can also find their nests in buildings.They lay two eggs, which are incubated by both adults for about two weeks. The collared dove chicks fledge after three weeks. The chicks are largely fed on crop milk for the first part of this period.
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| Misc. Info |
The male collared dove makes a showy display flight as it rises into the air. They clap their wings, and then glide down with their wings and tail spread out.
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