Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Crops & Clips: Doves

My weekly potpourri gathered from the archives features... meme themes featuring 

CRITTERS: Doves!

The Mourning Dove is an abundant breeding resident of all 48 lower states and parts of southern Canada. Avidly hunted, the biomass of Mourning Doves harvested each year is said to exceed that of all other game birds combined. The US Fish & Wildlife Service estimated their US population to be 274 million in 2003, and that 14.5 million were taken by hunters that year. 

Mourning Doves DPP Processed 20130322

Mourning Dove 20111211

The Common Ground-Dove is fairly restricted to the southern third of the continental 48 states, with scattered reports of sightings up the coasts and into the Great Lakes area. I found its nest with two eggs near our south Florida home this fall. Although it is known to be an established breeding bird here, it was the first such finding in Broward County. 

Common Ground-Dove 20120325

Unfortunately the eggs and its well-concealed ground nest were destroyed, probably by a flash flood along the side of the road where they were located.


Common Ground-Dove nest 20140822


Until about the 1980s, the White-winged Dove's US range was restricted to the far southern reaches of states along the US-Mexico border. Since then it has spread into most of the southern states, with Increasing numbers being reported as far north as southern Canada. 

Eye of the dove 20110410


The Eurasian Collared-Dove ranges all over Europe, Asia and into the Middle East and North Africa. It was introduced into the Bahamas only forty years ago and now has spread over nearly the entire continental US and even into Canada. Most Eurasian Collared-Doves appear rather dark, as this individual:

Eurasian Collard-Dove 20140410

The Eurasian Collared-Dove below is particularly light in color. Its darker under-tail coverts help distinguish it from the smaller African Collared-Dove (also called Ringed Turtle-dove, common in captivity and sometimes released at weddings and other celebrations but rarely seen in the wild).

Eurasian Collared-Dove 20090109

This collared-dove is almost white, and appears to have white under-tail coverts and strongly  contrasting black flight feathers, possibly descended from hybrids with domesticated African Collared-Doves. Note the limited black base of its middle tail feathers:

Eurasian Collared-dove 20110220


The Rock Dove was renamed Rock Pigeon in 2002 to conform with that used by the British Ornithologists' Union. True, their common name in the US was simply  "pigeon." This Rock Pigeon displays a plumage pattern close to that of the original European stock:

Rock Pigeon 20081017

We see Rock Pigeons in many shades, from pure white...

White Rock Pigeon 20081017

...to nearly black:

Black Rock Pigeon 20141020

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS, and to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

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FENCE: Mourning Dove at Chapel Trail Nature Preserve:

Mourning Dove on fence 20141215

Mourning Dove on fence 20141208

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

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SKYWATCH: 

A flock of White-winged Doves:

White-winged Doves 20141124

This Eurasian Collared-Dove demonstrates the extensive white tips of its tail feathers, almost half way from their ends, with the black on the central feathers extending 2/3 of the length of its tail.

Eurasian Collard-Dove 20130130

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

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REFLECTION: I couldn't find any reflections of doves, but while I searched my archives for photos marked "dove" I found one, and just missed another.

This Tricolored Heron "dove" after a fish...

Tricolored Heron diving 20120218

...and I just missed the reflection as this Brown Pelican "dove" into the ocean off Fort Lauderdale, Florida. You must imagine it between these two photos:

Pelican Dive sequence 4-20140423

Pelican Dive sequence 5-20140423


Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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17 comments:

  1. Dove and dove. Very clever. :-) thanks for the perchers!

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  2. Great dove shots! We get a lot of doves out at our desert house near Joshua Tree. I wonder what species it is?

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  3. Such a lovely of lovely Dove shots. I love the one on the fence.

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  4. Wonderful shots of the Doves.. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

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  5. Very nice selection of doves. They are beautiful birds!

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  6. Great captures. Merry Christmas.

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  7. So many pigeons - but I suppose somebody said that about the Passenger Pigeon as well!

    Nice set of shots.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: Hope you had a good Christmas

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  8. Amazing shots! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

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  9. What a nice serie on the Tourterelles des bois... I love the last pic, too, with the bird throwing itself at water...

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  10. Hello Ken, stopping back to say thank you for linking up and sharing your post today. Have a great weekend! I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!

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  11. The doves are very pretty. We have pigeons everywhere and they're not as lovely as the doves.

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  12. Wonderful photos and thanks for sharing the information on the doves. Have a super weekend!

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  13. Great dove and pigeon post! Wonderful information and wonderful photos too!

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  14. Beautiful birds and lovely action shots!
    Nicely done!!

    Peace :)

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