Submitted by Duane Miksch

Among the birds visiting our feeders, are a large number of doves. The Mourning Doves are especially prevalent. Adults were joined in mid-summer by many juveniles. The youngsters seem to flutter around less when not feeding and sometimes can be seen sitting quietly on the path in the shade outside our north windows.

What really gets our attention is the occasional Eurasian Collared Dove; rarely there will be two. The Collared Dove was introduced to the Bahamas and found its way to Florida by 1980. It quickly established there and began to spread westward. It probably reached Manhattan about the turn of the century.

The Collared Dove is larger than the Mourning Dove. It has a uniform, smooth putty-gray coat of feathers over much of its body that makes one wish he could feel its softness. The Mourning Dove has a more brownish mauve coat with dark splotches and a pinkish breast. The Collared Dove, as its name implies, has a collar like a black crayon mark on the back of its neck.

The trailing end of the Collared Dove’s tail is squared off and about an inch wide compared to the very sharply printed tail of the Mourning Dove.

If you haven’t yet seen a Collared Dove, keep watching. I think they are hear year round and they likely will become more prevalent.