Introduced to North America, Eurasian Collared-Doves are rapidly establishing themselves in many regions. Originally found in eastern Europe to Japan, they spread westwards into Great Britain by the early 1950's. In the 1970's, they were introduced to the Bahamas and by early 1980, were found in Florida. They have started to spread throughout North America and were first detected in the Upper Fraser Valley in east Chilliwack in the fall of 2005 but have since spread to several other locations. They are a large dove that is found in rural and suburban areas often in flocks. For more information on this species' spread, click here.

Similar species:
Similar but larger and heavier than our native Mourning Doves. Mourning Doves are slender bodied with long, pointed tails, black spots on the wings and lacking the black crescent on the nape. Ringed Turtle-Doves, another exotic species, are sometimes spotted in the wild when escaped from captivity. They are smaller and paler than Eurasian Collared-Doves. They are also much less hardy and are said to be unable to survive outdoors for very long.

Sources:
Wikipedia.org
Sibley, D. 2000

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