Well, I got a new Life Bird for myself...and a new yard-bird, as well! This morning I got some (again...pretty bad) photos of a White-winged Dove waiting on the wires to hit my feeders when I'm at work or not looking. [Addendum: I knew I could get a better photo.]I've read this is a mostly tropical dove, so it was sort
of funny to see it sitting on a wire while it was snowing...but I've also read it is increasing its range northward and is fairly resident in the Southwest. However, Cornell's map doesn't show its range as reaching as far north as Colorado...though they have been seen as far as Alaska and Main and most places inbetween. Most populations of White-winged Doves are migratory, wintering in Mexico and Central America, so it's a bit of a surprise to see it here in the middle
of December.
of funny to see it sitting on a wire while it was snowing...but I've also read it is increasing its range northward and is fairly resident in the Southwest. However, Cornell's map doesn't show its range as reaching as far north as Colorado...though they have been seen as far as Alaska and Main and most places inbetween. Most populations of White-winged Doves are migratory, wintering in Mexico and Central America, so it's a bit of a surprise to see it here in the middle
of December.
This bird is a couple inches smaller than the Eurasian Collared-dove, and has a large white patch in the wings that is obvious in flight and visible as a white line along the front of the wing, when perched. My pictures at least show that part. It's eyes, legs and feet are red.I'll include my bad photos here so you can see the smaller size (the dove is in the middle or upper left of this photo) compared to the Eurasian collared-dove (on the right) and it's short square tail, too. I wish you could see the eye, the skin that surrounds it is bright blue!
I'll include a professional photo to show how lovely this bird has...I think that blue is just stunning! Can you imagine if the light was right and the eye itself showed red? Nice!This last photo is from Wikipedia.
9 comments:
Congratulations on your new life-bird and yard bird. Hopefully, folks for whom this bird is common or even a nuisance will indulge your celebration.
I first saw them in south-central Texas, but now they are not uncommon in the Albuquerque area. For some reason they are less common this year compared to last, however.
Yes, I see they are pretty common south of here: Texas and New Mexico, but the maps I've looked at don't show them in Colorado at all. Now, I DO know they're here, as one of the links off CFO shows Walsenburg (where I work; about 20 miles from my home) as a possible place in Colorado to see them.
That, plus the fact that they're on the RareBirdAlert list...I thought they might be worth mentioning.
[sigh] Yeah, I'm still learning!
Debbie,
Sometimes the links you include are not complete; plus they crash my browser. Could you tell me where you found the list, please?
If you only get 'part' of the URL, you'll see the '~' symbol...and that won't work for me. Perhaps if you just told me the name of the site on which you found it?
All the lists I've found on Co-birds and the CFO show it's been sited here (and it has...in Walsenburg), but don't mention it's here year 'round.
Thanks; you're the first Colorado reply I've gotten in about six hours! LOL Like you, I'm still trying to find out stuff...
Sorry, Beverly. It was from the Colorado Birding Society's website. I'm nervous about sending the link. Click on birding locations and it brings up a map of Colorado counties. Click on Huerfano county and it will download a Word document that lists all the birds. Gary Weston (I think) told me that the website has the most up to date listing of sightings.
Debbie,
First let me tell you the problem is with Explorer...even when I try to open the County map from their website...it crashes. But it doesn't happen with Mozilla's Foxfire. Go figure! LOL
I think the bird has been sighted in Huerfano County for awhile now,
but not often enough to be 'common'. So...(again), I'm tickled pink! :D
Thanks again Debbie
And now for something completely different! I've tagged you with the Brillante Weblog Award! Details at http://brushandbaren.blogspot.com/2008/12/overdue-thanks-and-kudos.html
:-)
I'd be really happy to see one of these at my feeder, along with the ECDs and,thank goodness, still a few Mourning Doves. I see them posted occasionally from down the Arkansas River in Rocky Ford but none here that I know of.
Wow... Thanks Sherry! I'll come visit. You're very kind...
Fran,
What I've found out is that the bird has been seen from north to south in CO (including near you and me), but it is not so common and those in the know seem to think it's worth reporting as a 'rare bird'...since many in CO have yet to see one.
Thanks for stopping buy...I checked out your blogs; you are SERIOUSLY interested in quilting! Neat! Personally, I'm more about getting my hands in the dirt; but see we have gardening in common, too! Even neater... LOL
Beverly,
White-winged Dove has been spreading North and there are several being reported in Pueblo for the last year or so. So I would post this to COBIRD's list. Plus the Colorado Rare Birds http://www.cfo-link.org/birding/rba.php
Congratulations on a cool bird in your yard!
Post a Comment