Robert Read in a contribution to the "urbanization of crested
pigeons?" thread said Barbary Doves are rapidly increasing in
Alice
Springs. Back in 1997 Tom Tarrant reported "Several pairs of
Collared Doves ('Barbary' Doves')Streptopelia decaocto are
becoming established at Reef Point near Scarborough, Redcliffe"
(presumably Queensland). And I have had a recent report of
similar birds possibly breeding in Yarraville, Melbourne.
So there are chances of this "species" being admitted to the
Australian list. If it is I would be happy to let people know
the Melbourne location - it's not often one gets the chance to
see a new bird for Victoria in the metropolis !
One problem: the taxonomy. "Barbary Doves" aka "Ringed
Turtle-doves" are not Streptopelia decaocto - the (Eurasian)
Collared Dove. Barbary Doves have been named S. risoria but
there are views that it is no more than a domesticated form of
the African Collared-Dove (S. rosogrisea)and should not have a
separate species name.
The best reference on this that I've found on the web is at:
http://home.xnet.com/~ugeiser/Birds/Streptopelia.html
which includes links to photos and a list of diagnostics (eg.
mainly dark outer tail feathers on S. decaocto, mainly white on
S. 'risoria').
Hoping no boring, anti-feral idiots get the authorities to deal
with these birds before we all have a chance for a megatick ! It
could even be two megaticks if some of the birds are really the
spectacularly successful S. decaocto which spread from Iraq to
Iceland in 60 years.
Michael Norris
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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