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The
Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Streptopelia.
Over
the last 150 years or so this dispersive species has greatly expanded
its original range which stretched from Turkey eastwards to southern
China and the Indian sub-continent. The first record for Europe was from
Bulgaria in 1838 and by the end of the 20th century it had colonised
the rest of Europe with the exception of Iceland but including the
Canary Islands as well as the North African and parts of the Middle East. First record for Britain was in 1952 followed by the first for Ireland in 1958.
To the east of its original range, it has also spread northeast to most of central and northern China as well as Japan.
In
1974, less than 50 escaped from captivity in the Bahama Islands and
from there it spread to Florida. It is now found in nearly every state
in the USA, as well as in Mexico.
Patrick J, O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
