The Eurasian Collared Dove, also known as the Indian Ringed or Ring Dove, is the commonest and most widespread dove in India. Our area is no exception and it occurs everywhere except thick forest. It is a breeding resident, nesting mainly from February to October in trees and large bushes. Numbers occur in every village and it can form huge flocks of several thousand on recently harvested fields, fallow ground and at grain storage depots. It is a familiar site along roadsides, often perching on telegraph wires. It is also very common in urban areas and probably breeds in every area. It particularly favours parks, the grounds of institutions and gardens. It is less confiding than the Laughing Dove and less likely to nest on or enter houses.

Eurasian Collared Doves are active birds and their repetitive “doo dooo doo” is a familiar sound. They also often make a strange, harsh “kreer” call, when landing or in display. The males court the females aggressively with much throat and chest puffing and will fiercely drive any rivals away. Near the nest, they readily and persistently chase off House Crows and have even been seen to pursue Shikras. In the early years of the last century, Eurasian Collared Doves began spreading northwestwards from Turkey through Europe, reaching and breeding in England in the 1950s. By the 1970s they were all over the British Isles and reaching Iceland.  Since then they have even reached North America. There has also been some spread in Central Asia and into Japan. It is not known why such steady expansion occurs in a species, but the Eurasian Collared Dove is adaptable and bold so its breeding success must be high.