Ringed Turtle-Dove

On Saturday morning when my husband and I returned from the farmer's market there was an odd-looking dove in the hanging platform feeder. I called my husband to the window and had him take a look.

"That doesn't look like a mourning dove to me," I said.

"What else would it be?" he replied.

Now usually I defer to Al when it comes to bird identification. But in the last year or so I've gotten more confident with my own identification skills, and I've spent more time in the field. So I didn't automatically assume it was a mourning dove. It seemed slightly smaller, for one thing, and much paler, and there was a hint of a black collar on the back of its neck.

"I'm wondering if it could be one of those Eurasian collared doves," I said. "Someone was reporting one last year."

I got out my copy of "Sibley's Guide to Birds of North America," and I looked up Eurasian collared doves. That didn't look right either, the bird at our feeder was much smaller, and much paler. But right next to the Eurasian collared dove in the book was a ringed turtle- dove. The size was right, the coloring was right, it looked like we had found our bird. But we weren't positive.

"Sibley says that pale, white undertail coverts are diagnostic for a ringed turtle-dove," Al said. From where we were, we couldn't see the underside of the bird, which was eye level to us in the tree, but facing us. At that level he'd have to turn completely upside-down before we could see the undertail coverts (which are the underside of the tail feathers, by the rump.) The bird seemed wary, but not overly so, so I snuck outside and under the tree, digital camera in hand, and took a picture of the bird's rump. I do admit to feeling somewhat foolish doing that, but we needed to be sure of our identification. Sure enough, when I got back inside with the camera, the picture verified that we had a ringed turtle-dove. A new yard bird, and a life bird for both of us!

Ringed turtle-doves (streptopelia "risoria") are considered an "old world" species, which means they're native to someplace other than here. According to Kenn Kauffman's "Lives of North American Birds," ringed turtle-doves are not even a full species, but they are instead a domestic-bred variant of the African turtle-dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea). There are small colonies of semi-wild birds throughout North America, but it is not a hardy species and essentially relies on handouts from humans to survive. The one in my yard is most likely an escapee from a breeder, although it isn't banded. It is not at all wary of my presence, allowing me to come within several feet in order to fill the feeder or the birdbath, or to take pictures. He's not a particularly skillful flyer, nor does he move very quickly, so I fear for him if he should meet up with one of the neighborhood cats. I've increased my cat patrols, trying to shoo them out of the yard before they get very close. It's a never-ending battle.

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