[cobirds] Stealthy Streptopelias

Hello, everybody. Well, it's July, the most intriguing month of the year for birding. And in that spirit, I had occasion yesterday to ponder the intriguing ID challenges posed by Colorado's increasing and expanding populations of doves in the genus Streptopelia. Let's start off with this guy, photo'd yesterday, July 3, at the playground at Waneka Lake, Boulder County:

You would certainly be excused for thinking it's a candidate for African Collared-Dove (S. roseogrisea), but it is not. Here's the view from beneath, showing the classic pattern of strong contrast on the tail:

So it's "just" a Eurasian Collared-Dove (S. decaocto), albeit a notably pale one. Conversely, many (most?) of our African Collared-Doves are "wild types," pretty much the same colors and tones, and the same size and build, as Eurasian Collared-Dove. Here is an African Collared-Dove, photo'd yesterday, July 3, that has been present for several months at the west edge of Greenlee Preserve, Boulder County:

I'd probably walk right past this "wild type" collared-dove every day if it weren't for its distinctive song (an introductory note followed by a trill) and landing/alighting call (a descending whinny).

Here's another African Collared-Dove, this one spotted and photographed yesterday, July 3, near Waneka Lake, Boulder County, by Tom Behnfield:

Again, it's a "wild type" bird, easily dismissed as a Eurasian Collared-Dove, I would say. Tom audio-recorded the bird, and it sings the distinctive, diagnostic song of African Collared-Dove. (I don't mean to imply that Tom dismissed it as a Eurasian. He got it right! Thanks, Tom, for emailing me the photo and audio.)

Speaking of easy dismissal of African Collared-Doves, here's one from the Waneka Lake playground that I initially thought was a Eurasian:

But it is an African. 

Finally, there are those that cannot be ID'd, at least not by me. Here's one that, based on a brief glimpse of the bird in flight, looked good for African Collared-Dove. But I didn't hear it, and the tail was quite worn, so I wasn't sure about the ID. So I eBirded it as "Streptopelia sp.," a perfectly good and honorable solution. Anyhow, this guy:

Bottom line: There certainly are African Collared-Doves along the I-25 corridor in Colorado--and north into Wyoming and south into New Mexico. The keys to detecting them: (1) don't get hung up on overall color, size, and robustness; (2) do pay attention to contrast on the wings and tail; and (3) do listen for the distinctive songs and landing/alighting calls. (Extra credit: What are the flickers?)

Here's a thought. Sooner or later, Colorado's gonna get its 500th species. Brown Booby...Couch's Kingbird...Mute Swan... At the same time, the ABA Area is closing in on #1,000. We're at #991 right now, and a little birdie tells me several more are imminent. If we Colorado birders document establishment of African Collared-Doves, the ABA Checklist Committee will move swiftly on the matter as it pertains to the ABA Checklist. (The species currently is not on the ABA Checklist.) Wouldn't it be glorious if African Collared-Dove were ABA #1,000?

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County

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