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Apr 2, 2014 4:59 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I had a new (to me) visitor to my open feeder today - a Eurasian Collared Dove. I posted a pic in the Bird forum to be sure of my ID and am told that this is a nuisance non-native bird, much like the starling. Has anyone else had any experience with this newcomer? @Mcash70, you were right - this morning there was one, now this afternoon there are two. I have so far been throwing rocks at them to discourage them from the feeder, but if they are actually in the area and colonizing, my guess is my efforts will be rather futile. Trying to get an idea of how much of a nuisance they might be in the Pacific NW. Here's the pic I posted to get the ID:
Thumb of 2014-04-02/Bonehead/a8662e
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Apr 2, 2014 10:13 PM CST
Name: Julia
Washington State (Zone 7a)
Hydrangeas Photo Contest Winner 2018 Garden Photography Region: Pacific Northwest Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Forum moderator
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Sempervivums Container Gardener Foliage Fan
Hi Deb,
I have feeders here but never any of the doves. I will keep my eye out for one.
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Apr 3, 2014 11:44 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
They have a very definitive sound, woo-hoooo-hoo, much different than our native mourning doves (I love listening to those guys). I plan to let my open feeder sit empty for a while and see if they go somewhere else, I think they are too big for my tube feeder and suet cage.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Apr 7, 2014 10:59 PM CST
Name: Jewell
South Puget Sound (Zone 7a)
Cottage Gardener Dragonflies Ferns Hellebores Permaculture Region: Pacific Northwest
Ponds
We have had them move into the area in the last two years also. I believe they are escaped pets. I remember hearing them in Denver at my grandmother's home where my mom grew up. Mom said originally people raised them for food during WWII, and some escaped. I figure they are like pigeons, here to stay. Twenty years ago we didn't have gray squirrels or possums in Olympia either. Glare
Last edited by Jewell Apr 7, 2014 10:59 PM Icon for preview
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Apr 7, 2014 11:14 PM CST
Name: Julia
Washington State (Zone 7a)
Hydrangeas Photo Contest Winner 2018 Garden Photography Region: Pacific Northwest Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Forum moderator
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Sempervivums Container Gardener Foliage Fan
That's interesting. Have not seen any at my feeders.
Sempervivum for Sale
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Apr 18, 2014 7:09 PM CST
Name: Sherry
Northern California
Sunset Zone 17
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Pacific Northwest Seed Starter Region: California Plant Identifier
Interesting that you mentioned this...the very day before the DH was commenting on these doves out in the front that were different from the ones we're used to.
I could be wrong...
and.....
"maybe I should have kept my mouth shut....."
The Urge for Seeds is Strong in This One.....
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May 17, 2014 6:57 PM CST
Name: Sherry
Northern California
Sunset Zone 17
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Pacific Northwest Seed Starter Region: California Plant Identifier
Now I can see why they would be called "Nuisance Doves"...at least by me. They don't have the peaceful coo-ing of the mourning doves, instead having that repetitive, hyper, irritating coo-ing.....
I could be wrong...
and.....
"maybe I should have kept my mouth shut....."
The Urge for Seeds is Strong in This One.....
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Jun 7, 2014 10:35 AM CST
Name: Tom
Nooksack, WA (Zone 8a)
Ponds
Deb can you make that sound again? Rolling on the floor laughing Then make the sound of the "morning dove" so I can compare. Is the pitch different or what? We had a dove show up about 3 weeks ago and I thought it was a "turtle dove" that I would hear as a youth in Ohio but this one is quite repetitive as you mentioned Sherry, I thought it might be calling for a mate in desperation.
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Jun 28, 2014 3:21 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I'd rather forgotten about these birds, and thankfully am not (so far) plagued with them. Still seeing/hearing them now and again, but they have not moved in like the starlings (yet). In response to Tom, here's my best stab at the difference between the two (use your most creative imagination, ha ha)

Mourning dove: woo AH woo ... hoo hoo (usually only 1-2 times)
Collared dove: woo HOOO hoo ... woo HOOO hoo (repeated several times)

Probably not as sanctioned by Audubon, but that's what I hear.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Jul 13, 2015 6:47 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
A year later...I now hear more of the collared doves than the mourning doves. Dang invasives!
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Jul 13, 2015 7:23 PM CST
Name: Sherry
Northern California
Sunset Zone 17
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Pacific Northwest Seed Starter Region: California Plant Identifier
Yes, we have them. They don't bother me other than the fact that their "What Plant Is This? What Plant is This? What Plant is This?" call is so repetitive that it starts to get on my nerves. Kelli said that in Texas she thinks they're saying "Will Work for Food. Will Work for Food. Will Work for Food."...lol..
I could be wrong...
and.....
"maybe I should have kept my mouth shut....."
The Urge for Seeds is Strong in This One.....
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Jul 14, 2015 8:57 AM CST
Name: Lauri
N Central Wash. - the dry side (Zone 5b)
Enjoys or suffers hot summers Enjoys or suffers cold winters Seed Starter Greenhouse Foliage Fan Vegetable Grower
Organic Gardener Dog Lover Birds Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Our local Audubon has just let us know that they are showing up over here on the east side of the Cascades as well. I have not seen any yet and really hope they don't drive the native mourning doves away.

We had an odd one a couple years ago - a pure white dove in our tree out in front in the middle of winter. After much researching in various bird books and internet, we figured out that it was a dove native to the tropics that had most likely been released at a wedding the previous summer. Poor thing undoubtedly froze to death, which doesn't really seem like a very 'joyous' thing to do. It's probably not a good idea to introduce foreign critters into the local ecosystem anyway, just for a little "Oh Wow" moment, but weddings are so over the top anymore.
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Aug 19, 2016 1:39 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I have not heard a mourning dove this year. At all. I am hearing these dang invasive newbie doves all the time, though. Could they have driven off the natives so quickly? Or did something happen to the mourning doves? Anyone else notice them missing?
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Aug 23, 2016 3:35 PM CST
Name: Lauri
N Central Wash. - the dry side (Zone 5b)
Enjoys or suffers hot summers Enjoys or suffers cold winters Seed Starter Greenhouse Foliage Fan Vegetable Grower
Organic Gardener Dog Lover Birds Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
We still have lots of mourning doves and I have not seen or heard any of the usurpers yet.
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Aug 26, 2016 11:08 AM CST
Name: Greg
Lake Forest Park, Washington (Zone 8b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
I didn't know we had any native doves in this neck of the woods. I hear something, usually in the evening, that I thought were feral pigeons, but now I'm not sure. The feral pigeon sounds I found didn't quite sound like what I hear.

Eurasian Collared Dove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Mourning Dove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
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Dec 8, 2016 6:09 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I've got two of the collared doves currently hanging around my winter feeders. Aargh. I'd much rather feed my native songbirds than these thugs.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Dec 9, 2016 5:56 PM CST
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Keeps Horses Irises Region: Oklahoma Keeper of Poultry Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
I always liked them, I grew up with them in Tacoma. They seem to stay in pairs or even small groups but they don't seem to bully any of the birds at the feeders.
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Dec 9, 2016 8:49 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
So far I've only seen a pair at a time as well. Perhaps I am just being territorial... I did watch them today and although they are much bigger than my winter birds, they kept their distance until the little guys were done. Here's my other thought -- perhaps we just let nature just take its course? How else does species drift occur? And who are we to attempt to control it? Things change.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Dec 11, 2016 2:32 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
We have a bunch of these doves here north of Spokane. They seem to get along quite happily sharing feed with the quail and sparrows and chickadees. Pretty little things, but yeah, they are a bit raucous. Heh, the quail are faithless little critters. We just found out that they go next door for food in the morning and come back here in the afternoon. No wonder they're so fat!
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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