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Birding Report: Sep 2008

Hi all

On the 12/09, an adult African Collared Dove was caught and ringed at the IBRCE Ringing Station, Eilat. This dove immediately drew my attention by its white belly and under tail coverts and its short tail. I had been ringing more than 1500 Collared Doves in the last two years and I'm aware that around 0.5% of them have white bellies and under tail coverts, but this bird was a different story.

The first thing to measure was the short tail – 112mm, after checking that the tail was fully grown (Collared Doves would have the minimum of 120mm if not fully grown and up to 140mm for adults). The white under tail coverts covered all black tail markings completely. The wing length was 168mm. legs were reddish pink and iris deep red with some brown in the very thin inner circle (probably a second winter). A white eye ring was clear and conspicuous. The bill looked smaller and shorter then the Collared Dove I had in my other hand had. The forehead was steeper and the color of the head was much pinker, contrasting to the brown back. The back had a sandy brown color, warmer and somewhat darker that the collared dove's, and was contrasting to the pink head and white belly. The lower back, rump and wing small and median coverts had a faint and broad scaly pattern. The secondaries and primary coverts and alula formed a grey area like the one of the Collared Doves, but maybe a little bit more contrasting. Primaries were dark. Under wing was white – grey.

The chest was pink, just like the head, but had a contrast to the white belly and under tail coverts.

The Dove as a whole was somewhat smaller than the Collared Dove. The wing – 168mm is shorter than the usual Collared Dove – usually 175- 180 when fully grown.

The African Collared Dove is a Dove inhabiting sub Saharan regions, breeding in some parts of Egypt and South Saudi Arabia, where known to be spreading north. Past records are of birds observed and ringed in Eilat area from the autumn, winter and spring.

Pictures will be available in the tapuz forum and in our website birdsofeilat.com under "news".

The ringing station is quite active at the moment with 100 birds ringed every morning, including many waders (redshanks, ruffs, little stints and dunlins). Help would be appreciated.