Collared Dove
streptopelia decaocto
Smaller and slimmer than a Wood Pigeon, the Collared Dove is a pale, pinky-taupe colour, with a distinctive black neck collar (as the name suggests) and a blue-grey underwing patch. It has deep red eyes and reddish feet.
Collared Doves normally build their stick nests close to human habitation. The two white eggs are incubated by the female during the day and the male during the night. It is a monogamous species and the parents share parental duties caring for their young.
They eat seeds, grains, buds and shoots.
The Collared Dove's song is a coo-COO-coo. In Greek mythology, a servant complained bitterly about pay of just 18 pieces a year and the gods changed her to a dove that still cries mournfully. The Collared Dove also makes a harsh screeching sound lasting about two seconds, usually in flight when about to land.
