Philippine Collared-Dove Streptopelia dusumieri Scientific name definitions

30–33 cm; 145·5–173·7 g. Duller and paler than formerly conspecific <em>S. bitorquata</em> ; head  pinkish grey and half-collar dark grey with greenish sheen, white edging indistinct, grey of forehead and crown extends to ear-coverts and neck; hindneck below collar suffused with rusty or coppery tinge, separating collar from dark earth-brown upperparts (slightly paler than those of S bitorquata); outer webs of outermost rectrices white and grey tips to same feathers narrower; breast  more pinkish lilac, belly and undertail-coverts creamy white, and undertail more extensively blackish at base; iris brown to orange-brown.

Until recently considered conspecific with S. bitorquata, but differs in a more contrasting (black and white) outer tail (2), less contrasting undertail (2), paler collar, with greenish sheen and “scaly” effect, virtually no white band above, and rusty pink starting beneath (at least 2), paler underparts (ns[1]) and shorter bill (2), with a markedly different song (although a greater sample needed for confirmation) (1 Collar, N.J. (2011). Species limits in some Philippine birds including the Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus. Forktail. 27: 29–38. Close ). Monotypic.

Philippines; also recorded in N Borneo. Introduced to Guam and N Marianas.

An open-country species of grassland and agricultural land with trees and scrub; records on Borneo also from mangroves (2 Mann, C. F. (2008). The Birds of Borneo: An Annotated Checklist. B.O.U. Checklist 23. British Ornithologists’ Union, and British Ornithologists’ Club, Peterborough. Close ). Introduced populations occur in urban areas (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). 

Occasional sightings (1950s and 1960s) from N Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) are believed to either have involved vagrants or localized (and presumably failed) introductions from Philippines (2 Mann, C. F. (2008). The Birds of Borneo: An Annotated Checklist. B.O.U. Checklist 23. British Ornithologists’ Union, and British Ornithologists’ Club, Peterborough. Close ).

Advertising call  described as a sad “tuk-mm-mm” or hoarse “cook-coo-COO-oo”, repeated at regular intervals. Another call is “kerr-r-r-r-r, krr-r, krr-rr” repeated several times (4 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) or monotonously repeated “cut-wool”. Compared to S. bitorquata, of which the latter has a three-note song with a thick rolling throaty quality—“rra RARRRR ru” (two songs in five seconds; first note highest, second lower and longest, third lowest and shortest)—S. dusumieri has a brisker three-note “WA wu-WAA”, with a different stress, pure quality and no guttural tone (two songs in four seconds; first note highest, second lowest and shortest, third longest and slightly lower than first) (1 Collar, N.J. (2011). Species limits in some Philippine birds including the Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus. Forktail. 27: 29–38. Close ).

Season Mar–May in Philippines (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Nests sited 1–7 m above ground on branches in low trees at the edges of clearings, fish ponds and in mangroves; nest a flimsy structure of twigs arranged on fork of a horizontal branch. Clutch 2–3 white eggs (4 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

VULNERABLE. Philippine population has shown a rapid decline on Luzon (where it was still common as recently as early 1990s), and probably elsewhere, and is now local and uncommon in many areas where it was formerly frequent (4 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Known from the following Philippine islands: Agutaya, Alabat, Bantayan, Banton, Basilan, Batbatan, Bohol, Boracay, Busuanga, Cabo, Calagna-an, Calaguas, Cagayancillo, Calauit, Calayan, Caluya, Camiguin Sur, Carabao, Catanduanes, Cebu, Culion, Cuyo, Fuga, Gigantes, Guimaras, Hermana Mayor, Jintotolo, Jolo, Leyte, Libagao, Loran, Lubang, Luzon, Maestre de Campo, Maracanao, Maralison, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Pan de Azucar, Pangapuyan, Polillo, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Semirara, Siasi, Sibay, Sibutu, Sibuyan, Siquijor, Tablas, Tawitawi, Ticao, Tres Islas and Verde. Status in N Borneo unclear (see Movements), but no records since 1962 (2 Mann, C. F. (2008). The Birds of Borneo: An Annotated Checklist. B.O.U. Checklist 23. British Ornithologists’ Union, and British Ornithologists’ Club, Peterborough. Close ). Decline seems to be due to competition with other native pigeons, i.e. Spilopelia chinensis and Streptopelia tranquebarica, which appear better adapted to man-modified rural habitats. Reportedly introduced to Mariana Is, from Guam N to Saipan, from Philippines by the Spanish in the 1700s (5 Lever, C. (2005). Naturalised Birds of the World. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, UK. Close ). That population has fluctated, but on Guam it has survived heavy predation by introduced brown tree-snake (Boiga irregularis): a study there found nesting success was just 2·5% in urban areas, and 0·3% in forest habitat. Numbers on Saipan and Aguiguan appear to have increased between 1982 and 2007 (6 Camp, R. J., T. K. Pratt, A. P. Marshall, F. Amidon, and L. L. Williams (2009). Recent status and trends of the land bird avifauna on Saipan, Mariana Islands, with emphasis on the endangered Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinia. Bird Conservation International 19(4):323–337. Close ) and 1982 and 2008 (7 Amidon, F., R. J. Camp, A. P. Marshall, T. K. Pratt, L. L. Williams, P. Radley, and J. B. Cruz (2014). Terrestrial bird population trends on Aguiguan (Goat Island), Mariana Islands. Bird Conservation International 24(4):505–517. Close ), respectively, whereas on Rota they declined by 60% during the period 1982–2004 (8 Amar, A., Amidon, F., Arroyo, B., Esselstyn, J.A. and Marshall, A.P. (2008). Population trends of the forest bird community on the Pacific Island of Rota, Mariana Islands. Condor 110(3):421–427. Close ); has been reported from the islet of Farallon de Medinilla, but was not recorded during a visit in Nov 1996 (9 Lusk, M.R., Bruner, P. and Kessler, C. (2000). The avifauna of Farallon de Medinilla, Mariana Islands. J. Field Orn.. 71(1): 22–33. Close ).