Collared Dove

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Collared Dove, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Green listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	WBD(II*), Bern(III)

Collared Dove abundance has increased rapidly since the species first colonised Britain in 1955. From just four birds known to be present in that year, the population was put conservatively at 15,000-25,000 pairs by 1970 (Hudson 1972). The CBC index showed an almost exponential rise as colonisation continued during the early 1970s, but had levelled off by about 1980 only to rise again from the early 1990s. The early years of BBS showed this increase, but numbers are now similar to the mid-1990s following a recent downturn, apart from in Northern Ireland, where BBS records a strong increase. The BBS map of change in relative density between 1994-96 and 2007-09 indicates that increase at the time was strongest in East Anglia and Kent and that decreases have occurred in eastern Scotland and in small pockets of England. There has been an increase across Europe since 1980 (PECBMS: PECBMS 2020a>).

UK breeding population

+211% increase (1972–2022)

Since first colonising Britain in the 1950s, Collared Doves have become a widespread species, breeding and wintering across Britain & Ireland, with the exception of higher ground such as the Scottish Highlands and remote treeless expanses of bogs or flows. Abundance is greatest in the east of England, in the Fens, and near other concentrations of arable or horticultural land use such as in northwest England.

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Occupied 10-km squares in UK

No. occupied in breeding season	2547
% occupied in breeding season	84
No. occupied in winter	2451
% occupied in winter	81

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Breeding Season Habitats

Most frequent in	Towns
Also common in	Villages

Relative frequency by habitat

Relative occurrence in different habitat types during the breeding season.

The Collared Doves range in southeast Britain has remained relatively stable since the 1970s. Elsewhere, there are ongoing gains across north and western Britain and most of central and western Ireland.

Collared Doves are widely recorded throughout the year.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing	15 years 3 months 0 days (set in 1984)
Typical Lifespan	3 years with breeding typically at 1 year
Adult Survival	0.642±0.022

Wing Length	Adults	180.9±5.6 | Range 173–190mm, N=2619
	Juveniles	176.5±5.7 | Range 168-185mm, N=708
	Males	183.3±4.5 | Range 176–191mm, N=864
	Females	177.8±4.9 | Range 170–186mm, N=411

Body Weight	Adults	205±20 | Range 172–236g, N=1557
	Juveniles	174±25.4 | Range 134–217g, N=464
	Males	208±19.9 | Range 178–240g, N=582
	Females	202±20.1 | Range 169–232g, N=262

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	E
Field Codes	2-letter: CD | 5-letter code: COLDO | Euring: 6840

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Causes of change

There is little evidence available relating to the drivers of the increase in this species but it appears to have been able to fill an empty niche and exploit the intermittent seed resources available in gardens and may also benefit from milder winters. Given the long-term rise, there is no baseline of 'stability' against which to compare demographic rates that might be causing a change but increases in nesting productivity have reversed during the recent period of decline.

Further information on causes of change

There are very few studies from the UK looking at the causes of population change in Collared Dove. Apart from clutch size, the demographic data show a curvilinear trend, with fledglings per nesting attempt peaking during the 1980s and 1990s but now falling back to earlier levels (see graphs above). The species appears to have filled a previously empty niche, perhaps because it is able to adapt to new environments, and it is commonly found in gardens, exploiting the intermittent seed resources available. It may also benefit from milder winters, which the species can exploit with its long breeding seasons. However, evidence for this is anecdotal.

Robertson (1990) measured high productivity and a long breeding season in rural Collared Doves in Oxfordshire and suggested that these were made possible by feeding on superabundant, predictable and persistent supplies of commercial crop seed in and around farmyards. However, there is little evidence based on specific analyses to support this.

There is evidence that the recent slowing of population increase may be due to increasing numbers of grey squirrels, as Newson et al. (2010b) provided good evidence from nest record data which showed a positive relationship between nest failure at the egg stage and squirrel abundance. They may also have been approaching the saturation of their niche. Whilst this species is affected by trichomonosis, the outbreak first noted in 2006 which has severely affected Greenfinch populations is not thought to be the primary cause of the current downturn in Collared Dove abundance, as there have been no increases in reports of diseased birds (B.Lawson, pers. comm.). Population trends have been different in Scotland but the reasons for this are unclear.

Information about conservation actions

The Collared Dove increased rapidly in both abundance and range after colonising the UK in the late 1950s, but a downturn has occurred since the early years of the current century. In the absence of clear evidence confirming the reasons for this downturn, conservation requirements are unclear. It is possible that the recent changes in breeding productivity observed are partly related to density dependent effects and may not be of particular conservation concern; however, the short-term declines are close to prompting alerts. This suggests trends should continue to be carefully monitored and that action may be required for this species in future.

The impact of grey squirrels has also been suggested as a potential factor (Newson et al. 2010b); hence control of grey squirrels is another conservation action which could potentially benefit the Collared Dove.