Last week, we posted an item about a hard-to-ID dove we saw on a Harrier Meadow walk (photo above).  Link is here.

    Many readers voted for the Ringed Turtle-Dove, but it just may be a  semi-domestic strain now called "African Collared Dove."

   Click "Continue reading…" for the full explanation.

Author, editor and Tour Leader Paul Lehman writes:

   "The collared-dove looks like one of the paler, in-between sorts that have become more numerous and mixed in with "normal" looking Eurasian Collareds in many regions of the Southwest and West. It seems a BIT paler than the typical Eurasian.

   "But I wish I could see the entire undertail coverts to get a better idea what the true color is there; from what I can see, however, it also looks to be a bit on the pale side. Also would be good to hear it call and see if it gives two-note (domestic lineage) or three-note (Eurasian) calls.

   "I used to think that such paler birds – though not as pale as obvious escaped domestic "Ringed Turtle-Doves" – were tainted, but given that such birds are now hopelessly mixing up with purer Eurasians out West, I wonder if one can make such a clear distinction any more.

  " This bird does approach the semi-domestic strain that is now called "African Collared-Dove," which theoretically are not countable, but, again,  birds that look like this are now part of the wild collared-dove avifauna!"