Trevor, there are recent records of Barbary Doves at Alberton and other
suburbs in Adelaide. I agree with Mike, your picture if anything looks
like one of these. See b-a archives.
Tony.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Mike Carter
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 4:37 PM
To: BIRDING-AUS
Subject: Fw: [Birding-Aus] Collared Turtle-dove in Murray Bridge,SA &
other 'ferals'.
I very much doubt that it is a Collared Dove AKA Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto but as good as they are, we ain't gonna know from
your photos. Unfortunately, they don't show the diagnostic features.
Shape of wings, length of tail, and colouration of undertail coverts.
Either hidden or in shadow! It is far more likely to be a Barbary Dove
S. risoria a domesticated form of the closely related African Collared
Dove S. roseogrisea. They are widely held in captivity and feral
populations have been found in various parts of Australia and usually
destroyed forthwith.
Which raises the question as to whether the now extensive British
population of decaocto self established in the last 60 years after
spreading across Europe should be regarded as feral and therefore
destroyed. But if they had been destroyed, we'd have been interfering in
the natural world!
Just as we would have been if we'd destroyed the pioneering Cattle
Egrets in Australia. I'm sure that too was a natural expansion of the
species. I'll never forget when enroute to Australia in 1964 seeing two
Cattle Egrets flying steadily south over the Indian Ocean well east of
Madagascar. The nearest land in that direction was Antarctica. So they
were doomed. But no doubt others had tried their luck further east and
spread the population of their species to Australia.
Incidentally, I was astonished that I could find no mention of Barbary
Dove in Gibbs, Barnes & Cox, (2001), Pigeons & Doves, a Guide to the
Pigeons & Doves of the World, published by Yale. If it is not mentioned
it is a serious oversight. If you want information go to BWP.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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