Collared Doves

Meanwhile, back at the collared doves.... ☺ I am beginning to suspect they have far more acute hearing than other birds. Earlier today one was well over 50 feet away from me and there was a double-glazed window between us yet that bird heard the flash pop-up on my camera and promptly flew away before I could even focus on it. Miffed!

Collared doves are actually only a recent arrival to the UK. Traditionally there native range was temperate regions of Eastern Europe through to the fare east of Asia, however, over several centuries they have been expanding their range and reached the UK to colonise in 1955. In that year, there was 4 individual birds recorded. This increased to 20,000 by 1970. At present there are an estimated 300,000 breeding territories within the UK. Now thats an amazing increase eh!?  

it's hard to believe they are a "new comer" so to speak when there are so many.

As I get so many doves in my garden I have noticed sick ones that come in.  I read somewhere that Collard doves are susceptible to a disease (sorry name escapes me) that attacks the throat causing the bird to slowly starve to death as the throat or gullet becomes either an open wound or swells to the extent the bird can't feed.  What I wanted to know was whether or not this disease can affect other birds or is just inherent in the dove population?

I have noticed also that when a sick dove is present the other doves turn on it.  Not necessarily because of this disease but if it is injured by whatever means and is obviously weaker than the rest of them.  I see them constantly pecking or chasing it away.  I can't help but feel for the bird and I know that this is their way but sometimes I feel I want to do something for the poor thing.

Thanks for that info Lloyd. I knew collared doves were not native but hadn't realised they were quite as recent as 1955! They obviously like it here - are they still doing as well in their 'native' territories, and have they colonised any other areas as successfully?

Unknown said:

it's hard to believe they are a "new comer" so to speak when there are so many.

As I get so many doves in my garden I have noticed sick ones that come in.  I read somewhere that Collard doves are susceptible to a disease (sorry name escapes me) that attacks the throat causing the bird to slowly starve to death as the throat or gullet becomes either an open wound or swells to the extent the bird can't feed.  What I wanted to know was whether or not this disease can affect other birds or is just inherent in the dove population?

I have noticed also that when a sick dove is present the other doves turn on it.  Not necessarily because of this disease but if it is injured by whatever means and is obviously weaker than the rest of them.  I see them constantly pecking or chasing it away.  I can't help but feel for the bird and I know that this is their way but sometimes I feel I want to do something for the poor thing.

Sounds like it could be Trichomoniasis (or 'canker' in doves and pigeons), a protozoan parasite of the upper digestive tract. It typically affects pigeons and doves in the UK, but since 2005 it has also been seen in other garden birds. Greenfinches appear to be particularly susceptible and potentially any bird can become infected - in birds of prey (who can become infected by taking a sick bird), the disease is known as 'trounce'.

Any bird can catch the infection, and confirmed cases have been found even in birds of prey that have fed on infected birds. Trichomoniasis causes lesions in the throat of the infected bird, which makes it progressively harder for the bird to swallow its food, and eventually to breathe. The infected bird will eventually die of starvation or possibly choking. 

More information can be seen here and in the attached PDF file - Please help us keep a track of these incidents by filling and returning the downloadable form from the website. Trichomoniasis isn't the only disease that can affect birds - see attached PDF file below for details of other possibilities.  

Thanks LRB for your clarification, although it has worried me greatly.

I have just finished reading the guidance from your link and have come to the conclusion that I'm not doing really very well at the moment with regard to wildlife in my garden!!  Alot of the advice is common sense and I am actually already doing what is advised.  In another post I have just confirmed that my hedgehog feeding has been halted because the cat brought a rat in and, although I am not sure, may now have one or two doves that are sick.  The sensible thing to do I believe is to stop feeding the birds for a couple of weeks!!  I can't tell whether or not the doves are sick because of Trichomoniasis but they are certainly lethargic and fluffed up, altho quite quick to fly off if you try to go near them.  They come in with the other doves but don't actively feed, just sit until something disturbs them.   Should I stop feeding the birds now or am I overreacting?  I am willing to take the chance if it means stopping any further possible contamination.  I have a wide variety of birds visting the garden so it would be awful if these became sick too.  At the moment it is only the doves.

Ho hum, spose tomorrow I'll just sit in the park and throw bread at myself!

Well, as I mentioned a few days ago, one of my collared doves is back - that is the bad news as, at the moment, there is only the one whereas previously there were always two. Good news is I finally managed to get a photo - albeit a not terribly good one as he/she was too far away. And for my next challenge - the desperately camera-shy blue tit.......

I have a pair of collard doves in my garden, they are there most of the day. They sit on the birdtable and wait for me to put food for them, they are very tame. I had a pair of doves years ago and they even started eating from my hand :-)

I also have a wood pigeon coming for food now and it walks about the patio :-)

Hi there we have had 18 collared doves in the garden at the same time. the other day one was trying to take a bath when a starling landed on the doves back. a very startled dove flew off looking quite flummoxed