Collared dove: the bird profiles

Did you know the collared dove is originally from Asia? And could you spot a young collared dove chick? Here’s everything you should know about the collared dove.

The collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is one of our most common pigeons. Similar to its relative, the wood pigeon, it is a loud bird, with a muffled, calling song that can be heard throughout towns and villages during breeding season. Originally from Asia, the dove arrived in central Europe from Turkey in the 1930s, and spread to western and northern Europe in the following decades. Want to learn more about this once exotic, wild pigeon? Then look no further.

Collared dove: key facts

How to recognise the collared dove

The collared dove is slimmer and more elegant than its relative, the wood pigeon. Its plumage is a light grey-beige, its wings are tinged brown, with dark tips, and its neck is marked at the nape with a dark stripe; its collar. Unfortunately, males and females are indistinguishable to the naked eye.

How to recognise a young collared dove

Young collared doves are not as graceful as their parents. Their plumage is a dull brown and their necks are bare. This youthful look is short-lived, however, as collared doves lose their juvenile plumage within a few weeks. And after 3 to 4 months, they may even start a brood of their own.

How to recognise a collared dove egg

A collared dove egg is about 3cm long and pure white. In almost all cases, a female lays exactly 2 eggs per clutch in a nest made of small twigs. The nest and brood are sometimes aggressively defended from nest predators, including corvids and humans.

What is the perfect habitat for collared doves?

Collared doves prefer to live near humans. They utilise farmland and tend to follow crop harvests, settling in villages and sometimes the parks of smaller townships.

Where do collared doves build their nests?

Collared doves build their nests in trees, hedges and dense vegetation. Conifers are best, be they isolated trees or part of a grove. However, the dove is also happy with man-made structures like window sills, flower pots and canopies.

When is breeding season for collared doves?

Collared doves breed between March and November. If the weather is mild enough, however, the pigeons have been known to breed all year, managing up to 6 broods annually. Each clutch is incubated for around two weeks, before the hatchlings are fed crop milk in the nest – a protein- and fat-rich secretion that is produced by the parents.

Where do collared doves spend winter?

Collared doves are resident birds, remaining on our islands throughout winter. They most often travel in pairs, but occasionally meet in small groups with wood pigeons and other native pigeons.

What does a collared dove’s song sound like?

The cooing song of the collared dove is a muffled “gu-Guuh-guh” (stress on the second syllable). This motif is shared with the wood pigeon whose song is similar but consists of 5 syllables instead of 3.

Help the collared dove!

Collared doves live almost exclusively near humans. Read on to find out how you can offer the birds a welcoming home in your garden.

What do collared doves eat?

Collared doves are vegetarian, feeding on a wide variety of berries, seeds and grains; they will appreciate a feeding station filled with mixed grain, and seeds, particularly sunflower.

Which birdhouses are suitable for collared doves?

Traditional birdhouses, though perfect for blue tits and nuthatches, are unsuitable for collared doves. To assist collared doves, it is best not to thin your hedges and trees too much. Collared doves will appreciate the dense vegetation in which they can hide their nest.

How can I support collared doves even more?

In addition to bird feed, you can foster a natural food supply for collared doves by planting berry-bearing plants. In summer, and throughout breeding season, a bird bath is a must. To create crop milk, parent birds require lots of water. If you can, lay out a shallow bowl of water and sit back. On hot days, it will also be used as a bath.

Note: Be sure to clean your bird bath regularly. When temperatures are high, you may have to do this daily.

Another species that can be attracted to the garden with bird feed is the serin. Find out more about this wonderful garden bird in our profile.