..Collared Dove..
Both the Collared Dove and the Woodpigeon have a 'cooing' call that that reminds one of summer evenings. It would be easy to think of the Collared dove as a native Irish species but the truth is that they were unknown in Ireland before 1959. They are native to Turkey but spread rapidly across Europe in the 20th century.
The Collared Dove feeds mainly on seeds and grains which is why they are a regular visitor to our birds tables.
Male and female Collared Doves are identical. They mate for life and will aggressively defend their territory
Unlike other birds the Collared Dove only lays two eggs in a flimsy nest built high in the trees. The female incubates the eggs at night while the male sits on the nest during the day. It takes about a month after laying for the eggs to hatch. Unlike other birds the Collared Doves breed throughout the year except in the coldest weather and can have up to 6 broods.
The young leave the nest before they can properly fly and will stay near the ground for up to two weeks. During this time they are fed and guarded by their parents but are an easy target for Sparrowhawks and Buzzards.
When the juveniles have matured they will leave their parents territory but rarely move too far away.
Even though they are not native to Ireland Collared doves are not considered to be 'invasive' but rather 'naturalized'. However they do carry a disease called trichomoniasis which is devasting when spread to Finches which happens if an infected dove uses a garden bird table.
