Collared Dove - 2003-07

Most people, whether they live in town or village, will be familiar with this pale buff dove with its striking dark collar and monotonous cooing song. Originally a bird of the Orient, it has expanded its range to eventually colonise Britain. It first nested in Pembrokeshire in 1961 and was widespread by the time of the 1984-88 survey. It has been found to have a close association with human habitation, occurring around farmsteads, small holdings and gardens but to be absent from more open countryside. Its flimsy nest is placed in trees, particularly conifers and it is able to breed all year long.

Comparison of the two survey results shows a 15% increase in distribution by the latter period. This compares with an 18% increase in Wales as a whole between 1984 and 2007 noted by the BBS. The estimated Pembrokeshire breeding population of 1,600 – 2,100 which accompanied the survey of 1984-88, was based on a range of six to eight pairs per occupied tetrad, which attempted to cater for higher densities in suburban areas than in isolated homesteads. The same situation prevailed during the 2003-07 survey, so applying the 15% increase to the earlier estimate suggests a breeding population in the range of 1,830 to 2,440 pairs in the county.

Graham Rees

Fieldwork 2003-07 (based on 490 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 69

Orange = breeding probable = 199

Yellow = breeding possible = 41

Total tetrads in which registered = 309 (63.1%)