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Re: More on Eurasian versus Ringed
- To: CarolinaBirds <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Re: More on Eurasian versus Ringed
- From: Michal Skakuj <mskakuj@nc.rr.com>
- Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:30:20 -0400
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
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Hi all,
Looks like I should say something, I have seen both species and had hard
time to ID Ringed Turtle Doves (RTD) in flocks of Collared Doves (CD) in
Bahrain (Persian Gulf).
First of all (both species for me are much more similar in size than in
Sibley's field guide), in the field the best ID features are distinctly
darker primaries of CD, contrasting nicely with tertials and upper-tail
coverts. In RTD primaries are much more similar colored to tertials and
uppertail. In flight contrasting pattern of CD (black inner tail
contrasting with white outertail band and undertail coverts) is not
always well visible. However in RTD there is similar pattern but much
less distinct (outer white band is wider, dark inner tail is not so dark
black and undertail coverts are somehow lighter). I would never say CD
has distinctly gray, darker undertail coverts than RTD, the difference
is much less obvious that shown in Sibley's guide. Some town populations
of CD may have such dark undertail because of general dirt in big cities
not because it is their natural color. In contrast birds (CD) seen in
bright light in countryside look very much whitish undertail with strong
contras to the black inner part of tail feathers (black base of the tail).
So, looking at the photo of RTD I see rather pale but definitely NOT
WHITE udertail coverts. In addition the inner tail black band is
distinctly black, rather wide and covers almost half of visible tail
length (in RTD it shouldn't be so black and should cover ca one third of
the exposed tail). Both features in my opinion are better for CD than
RTD. RTD is very, very pale bird with not much of town, worm and
grayish colors of CD. In that photos I see rather typical tones of CD
than RTD.
I wish I could see wing photo of the bird to be sure what are we dealing
with.
As far as outer tail feather pattern not all CD have distinct blackish
outer webs of retrices. Some show just a hint of dark smudge with rather
whitish outer edge of the feathers.
So, personally I am not sure what is this and I would rather vote for
CD, but have to see the wing pattern.
Mike
Will Cook wrote:
I just switched the Ringed Turtle-Dove photo to one without the tag obscuring
part of the tail - see http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/museumbirds.html
You can more clearly see that both the undertail coverts and outer webs of
the retrices (tail feathers) are whitish. As I understand it, Eurasian
Collared-Dove is very similar to wild-type Ringed Turtle-Dove but has darker
gray undertail coverts and blackish outer webs, extending a little past the
black band on the inner webs.
--
************************************************
Michal Skakuj Ph.D.
4600 University Drive apt. 1312
Durham, NC 27707
phone: 919 402 9961
mobile phone: 919 599 3040