New Backyard Visitor

April 27, 2010 1 Comment

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via utahbirds.org)

I consider myself a pretty perceptive guy. I am usually the first person to see a deer in the hills or a trout swimming but I will admit I think have been a little slow on the pick up in this case. There are a bunch of doves that frequent my feeders and are pretty much there all day, even when I am out there. I had always assumed that they were all mourning doves, but recently I had noticed that some of them have a black half circle on the back of their necks. It finally occurred to me that I should look and see what was up with that. Turns out I have new birds in my yard (for who knows how long). They are Eurasian Collared-Doves. Turns out they haven’t been in our country for very long. They were introduced in the Bahamas in the mid-1970′s and have spread across the entire country. Interestingly, they really only live in populated areas and don’t live out in the wild areas inhabited by mourning doves. I have never been a very big fan of introduced species (although I seem to make convenient allowances for certain non-native trout).

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via utahbirds.org)

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