Eurasian Collared Dove

The Eurasian collared dove is a medium-sized dove, about 32cm long with a wingspan of 47–55cm and a weight of 125–240g. It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey, slightly darker above, with a black half-collar edged in white on the nape. The legs are red and the bill black, and the red iris looks dark at a distance. The undertail is dark grey tipped white. The sexes are identical, and juveniles have a poorly formed collar. Its call is a three-note coo with the stress on the middle note (Wikipedia, general species account).

At the end of the 19th century its range ran from eastern Turkey to southern China and south through India to Sri Lanka; during the 20th century it spread rapidly across Europe. It usually breeds close to people, with almost all nests within a kilometre of buildings. The female lays two white eggs in a stick nest, incubating by night while the male sits by day, for 14–18 days, and several broods a year are common. In India it is resident across a very large range; SoIB 2023 finds a current increase of about 3% a year and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).