[Tweeters] African Collared-Dove

[Kevin Lucas]

Today I heard a strange dove call, tried to record it, then went around our
house to see a Collared-Dove with white outer webs to its outermost tail
feathers -- a distinguishing field mark for African Collared-Dove. I'd seen
a similar bird or the same bird on January 1st. Today I was able to get my
camera and take a couple of strongly backlit photos showing the outer webs
that I attached to my checklist. My checklist from January 1st had no
photos, and I'd not entered it with the "(Domestic type or Ringed
Turtle-Dove)" qualifier. That sighting report hasn't yet been "confirmed".

Here are links to my checklists:

https://ebird.org/pnw/checklist/S126519290
https://ebird.org/pnw/checklist/S125400999

I found in The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of North America good
illustrations of the outer tail feathers' outer webs for both Eurasian and
African Collared-Doves. In the Sibley app I used the over-under species
comparison to see that distinction easily.

Gary Bletsch was the one to answer my previous Tweeters request for help
with identifying it, and he did so quite nicely and thoroughly with a broad
perspective. Thanks Gary.

I found a confirmed sighting of an African Collared-Dove on the eBird Range
map with photos that show the black in the outer web of a Eurasian
Collared-Dove, and find other confirmed checklists that make no mention of
the white outer web and the white/light undertail coverts that seem to be
needed to accurately confirm the species. Perhaps those field marks aren't
necessary, or maybe I'm misunderstanding them. I welcome identification
help.

Good Birding,
https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/
Kevin Lucas
Yakima County, Washington
*Qui tacet consentire videtur*
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