The Eurasian collared dove, a native of India and the Middle East, had spread into Europe by the early 1900s; within another fifty years, it was living and breeding as far north and west as Scandinavia and Great Britain. Released in the Bahamas in 1975, this prolific bird invaded South Florida by the early 1980s and quickly spread through the Southeastern States. Today, small populations have been found as far west as California.
It is now clear that this hardy dove is rapidly becoming a common, widespread resident of North America, matching the success of the maligned European starling. Collared doves were first reported in southeastern Colorado in 1996 and quickly colonized most towns across the State's eastern plains. Sizable populations began turning up in Front Range cities over the past few years and, for the first time this summer, I encountered a breeding pair on our Littleton farm.
Larger than mourning doves, this immigrant may have a negative impact on native bird populations though evidence is lacking to date. Concerned that the collared dove may be a problem in agricultural areas, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has established a Eurasian collared dove hunting season from December through February, with no bag limit; this is in addition to the standard September-October dove season. The winter hunt will occur after the native doves have moved south of Colorado, thereby minimizing impact on those species; the hardy collared dove does not migrate but, like most doves, gathers in large flocks during the colder months.
