People who love bird-watching often find comfort in spotting a dove. Whether it’s calmly perched on a telephone line while cooing or zipping about in the backyard, the sight is always welcome. But there’s a tricky bit. It’s telling the difference between two kinds of doves, the Eurasian Collared Dove and the Mourning Dove. They’re quite similar, you see. They both have this gentle cooing sound and they even share feed times. For folks starting in bird-watching, telling these two apart can be a challenge.
This all-inclusive bird-watching guide will highlight the important physical features that set these doves apart. It will cover their geographic ranges and give you pointers to spot them correctly when you are outdoors. Thus, when a dove visits your backyard next time, you’ll have the knowledge to easily and confidently separate these interesting winged pals.
Unveiling the Clues: Key Physical Differences
Both birds may seem similar due to their typical dove form. However, keen observation brings some unique physical traits to light, effectively setting them apart.
Size and Build:
- Mourning Dove: Smaller, slimmer forms characterize these doves. Wings? They span about 17-19 inches. In terms of length, they’re typically 11-13 inches.
- Eurasian Collared Dove: These doves are clearly bigger, more robust than Mourning Doves. Their wings? They extend 25-27 inches. Their bodies? They usually measure 12-14 inches.
Size Comparison
| Feature | Eurasian Collared Dove | Mourning Dove |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 32-34 cm (12.5-13.5 in) | 25-28 cm (10-11 in) |
| Wingspan | 62-68 cm (24.5-27 in) | 35-40 cm (13.5-15.75 in)pen_spark |
Coloration:
- Mourning Dove: This bird has a blanket of cozy brown feathers. You can see a unique feather mix on their neck, glowing in pink and green depending on the light. Their wings have black spots—this is how you spot them.
- Eurasian Collared Dove: Their feathers tend to be more grey-brown. They have a black band around the neck that stands out. Their wings don’t have spots like the Mourning Dove, and the wingtips are a bit dirtier, which provides a striking contrast.
Tail Shape:
- Mourning Dove: Spot these bird by its sharp tail. There’s usually a white edge to the exterior feathers. It’s an interesting touch to how they look.
- Eurasian Collared Dove: ECDs have curved tails. Their tail tips show a striking white stripe. It stands out against the feathers beneath that are darker.
Common Calls:
| Dove Species | Call | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Koo-KOO-kook | A short, repeated coo with emphasis on the second “koo” |
| Mourning Dove | CooOOooo | A long, drawn-out cooing sound, often described as mournful |
Wing Markings:
Mourning Doves have a feature that’s less noticeable. You can find tiny black spots on their wings, which Eurasian Collared Doves don’t have. This distinction is hard to spot and needs good light and a sharp eye to see.
Learning these important looks will help you pinpoint both birds in your own backyard. It’s a sure path to bird identification.
Diets:
| Species | Diet |
|---|---|
| Eurasian Collared | Seeds, grains, fruits |
| Mourning Dove | Seeds, fruits, insectspen_spark |
Geographic Distribution
Knowing where these doves usually live can help us identify them. Let’s talk about their favorite places:
| Dove Species | Habitat |
|---|---|
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Open areas, farmland, gardens |
| Mourning Dove | Forests, woodlands, edges |
Mourning Dove’s Habitat:
- Mourning Doves call North America home. You can find them all over this vast area, from Canada to Mexico and Central America. Some doves from up north fly south when winter comes, while their southern neighbors usually stay put all year round.
Eurasian Collared Dove’s Spread:
- North America wasn’t always home to Eurasian Collared Doves. Their journey started as free-flying pets in the Bahamas around the 1970s. Since then, they’ve settled down in several parts of North America. Nowadays, they’re a common sight in cities and suburbs across the land (https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/bird-the-month-eurasian-collared-dove). Before this? They were just in Europe and Asia!
It’s true, both types of doves now visit numerous American yards. But, if we know where they first came from, it helps us identify them. This is extra handy if you live somewhere with only new ECD sightings.
Beyond Appearance: Vocal Differences
Both have a alike cooing cry, it’s a gentle, sad “coo-coo-coo” that we often hear in many gardens. If you’re a seasoned bird-watcher, you might catch tiny differences between their coos’ beat or flow. But, for novices, it could be hard just relying on sounds.
Still, Mourning Doves have another unique sound to note. They can make a unique “who-who-who” noise sometimes when they’re flying around. If you catch this noise along with their usual cooing, it hints that a Mourning Dove could be nearby.
Putting it All Together: Tips for Identification
Now you’ve got the facts on what makes these two doves different, plus where they’re found. Let’s blend this information for spot-on ID:
| Feature | Mourning Dove | Eurasian Collared Dove |
|---|---|---|
| Size and Build | Smaller, sleeker | Larger, stockier |
| Coloration | Warm brown, iridescent neck patch, black wing spots | Grayish-brown, black neck collar, contrasting dark wingtips |
| Tail Shape | Pointed with white edging | Rounded with broad white terminal band |
| Wing Markings | Black spots present | No black spots |
| Geographic Range (North America) | Native | Introduced |
Conclusion
To tell Eurasian Collared Doves from Mourning Doves, focus on their looks and sounds. First, see their shape and size. Eurasian Collared Doves are big and bulky with round tails ending in white, while Mourning Doves are tinier, have pointy tails, and black spots on their body. Search for a black band on their neck, this points out to Eurasian Collared Dove, since Morning Doves don’t have one. Lastly, catch their cooing. The Eurasian Collared Dove beats out a quick, short “koo-KOO-kook”, different from the sad, slow coo of a Mourning Dove. Follow these clues, and you’ll easily tell these dove species apart.
