Winterers - collared doves
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Collared dove
| Collared dove, Eurasian collared dove |
Kaelus – turteltuvi
|
Streptopelia decaocto |
Collared doves are sand-coloured, the back is slightly darker coloured. The feature that has given them their name is the broad, dark band at the neck, like the collar of a coat, but it is missing in juvenile birds. The underparts of the body are lighter, becoming whitish grey behind the feet. The dark eye is surrounded by a red iris. Compared to the domestic pigeon the impression is of a clean and bright bird.
The collared doves that winter in Estonia inhabit stands of trees and parks near cities. They are quite like the domestic pigeons, but more slender and with a longer tail. They are partly urbanised birds; the winter is spent near humans settlements around bird feeding places. There may be about a thousand winterers; the migrants left us at the end of September.
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