The Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a pale, sandy-grey dove instantly recognisable by the narrow black half-collar, edged in white, around the back of its neck. The body is a warm beige-grey, paler below with darker wingtips, and the fairly long tail shows white outer feathers that flash clearly when the bird fans it on landing. The eye is red, the bill dark, and the sexes look alike. Measuring 29-33 cm and weighing 150-240 g, it is a familiar sight on rooftops and garden trees across almost every Swedish town.
Its call is a flat, persistent three-syllable "ku-KUU-ku", stressed on the middle note and repeated tirelessly from roofs, aerials and treetops, while a nasal, screeching "äähr" is given in flight, especially on landing. The species owes its presence in Sweden to one of Europe's most dramatic natural range expansions: spreading from south-eastern Europe through the twentieth century, it reached Skåne by 1949 and has since colonised the whole country except the mountain region, remaining resident year-round wherever it settles. Closely tied to human settlement, it favours leafy suburban gardens and parks with tall old trees, and is a frequent, enthusiastic visitor to bird feeders, taking spilt grain and sunflower seeds, a habit that has helped fuel its success in towns. The nest is a sparse, flimsy platform of twigs built in a dense hedge or tree, holding just two white eggs; pairs can raise several broods across a long season stretching from late winter into autumn, with both parents feeding the young on nutritious crop milk at first. Sweden's population now numbers in the tens of thousands of pairs, though it has shown a slight recent decline after decades of expansion.
Read about this species in Swedish →