Streptopelia decaocto, Collared Dove

Common Name: Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto, more commonly known as the Collared Dove, measures approximately 32cm, having grey / pale brown back and wings, with dark wing-tips and a conspicuous black, white-edged collar around the back of the neck. The underparts are pale grey, often with a pinkish tinge.

The call is a rather monotonous, repetitive 'coo-coooo-cu', usually delivered from trees or roof-tops. The accent is on the second note, and the third note is very short and sometimes dropped altogether. The call can then be mistaken for that of a cuckoo, but the cuckoo's call is more musical and the accent is on the first note.

Feeds mainly on grain and other seeds on the ground. Their nest is a thin platform of twigs in trees or on buildings. Seen just about anywhere in the UK, often around towns and villages and are common visitors to urban gardens, but Collared Doves only came to the UK in the 1950s, after a rapid spread across Europe from the Middle East.

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