Collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) are medium-sized doves that can be found across Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are a relatively new introduction to the UK, arriving in the 1950s from the Middle East and rapidly colonising the country.
Collared doves are monogamous birds and once paired up they tend to mate for life. Their mating habits and behaviours have been widely studied to understand their reproduction and life cycles.
When is the mating season?
Collared doves can mate at any time of the year but their main breeding season is between March and October. This coincides with periods of abundant food availability which allows them to successfully raise multiple broods.
The onset of warmer temperatures in spring triggers hormonal changes in both males and females readying them for mating. Displays of courtship feeding by the male help strengthen the pair bond. Nest building and mating activity peaks between May and July.
However, in the milder southwestern parts of Europe collared doves may start nesting as early as February. While in the northern parts of their range, they primarily mate between May and August.
Courtship Displays
Courtship behaviour is an important precursor to mating in collared doves. The male will initiate courtship by selecting and defending a nesting territory first. This is followed by ritualistic displays to attract a female’s attention.
The male frequently bows down low and swivels his head around while fanning and showing off his tail feathers. He will also puff up his neck feathers revealing the black collar that gives the species its name.
Rising high up with loud claps of his wings, the male collared dove will parade around the boundaries of his territory. This aerial display advertises his nest ownership and fitness.
Females observe these behaviours when selecting a mate. Preference is given to the most energetic males with the flashiest plumage and courtship performances.
Nest Building
Once paired up, mating is proceeded by joint nest building by the mated collared dove couple. The male will initiate nest construction by bringing twigs and branches. The female joins in gathering additional nest materials like stems, roots and lining feathers.
Collared doves are adaptable when it comes to nest locations. Their flimsy platform nests can be found in a variety of sites like tree branches, scrub thickets, building ledges or even on top of street lights!
Nests are hastily put together with loose sticks forming a shallow saucer, about 25-30 cm wide. The inner cup where the eggs are laid has a scanty lining of feathers and leaves. Old nests are not reused for subsequent broods.
Mating
The actual mating takes place in and around the nest. The male will repeatedly exhibit head-bobbing motions and loud, rhythmic cooing to stimulate the female’s readiness for copulation.
When receptive, the female lowers her body, spreads and fans her tail. The male balances himself on her back, holding the nape of her neck in his beak for stability. His tail briefly overlaps with the female’s drooped tail feathers.
Cloacal contact lasts just a few seconds as the male dismounts soon after transferring sperm. Mating is usually brief and can be repeated several times a day to ensure successful fertilisation.
Egg Laying and Incubation
5-7 days after mating, the female dove starts depositing her eggs. She produces 1-2 small white eggs daily until the clutch size of 2 eggs is completed. The eggs are oval shaped with a smooth, slightly glossy surface.
Incubation starts after the second egg resulting in asynchronous hatching. Both parents share sitting on the eggs but the female takes up most daytime incubation duties. She carefully turns the eggs and adjusts her body to evenly warm them.
The male relieves the female at intervals to allow her feeding breaks. He may also briefly incubate at night. Incubation lasts between 14-18 days before the altricial chicks hatch out covered in sparse yellow down.
Nesting and Fledging
For the first few days after hatching, the chicks are continuously brooded and fed ‘crop milk’ – a nutritious liquid regurgitated by both parents. Crop milk contains proteins, fats and immune factors essential for rapid nestling growth.
By two weeks of age, the nestlings open their eyes and quiver their wings in preparation for fledging. They are very noisy and beg constantly for food. The parents work hard gathering seeds, fruits and insects to satisfy their hungry chicks.
At 18-19 days old, the young are fully feathered and ready to leave the nest. Fledging may be accidentally premature if the nest is disturbed. Otherwise, the chicks voluntarily jump out when their wings are strong enough for flight.
Post-fledging Care
The adult collared doves continue caring for the fledged young for several days after leaving the nest. They follow and call out to the juveniles guiding them to suitable foraging spots. The male most often shadows the young.
While refining their flight skills, the fledglings return to the nest at night for safety and warmth. During this time, the adults sleep close by on nearby perches. About 4 weeks after fledging, the young birds become fully independent.
Second Broods
Collared doves can raise up to 4-6 broods per breeding season. Nest building for the subsequent brood may commence even before the first clutch fledges.
The pairs remain mated and breed repeatedly using the same reproductive strategy. The female lays fresh eggs while the male continues provisioning the older offspring for some time post-fledging.
Higher food availability in summer and autumn allows collared doves to successfully breed multiple times. Their ability to overlap broods ensures high productivity from a single mating.
Interesting Facts
Here are some fascinating facts about collared dove mating habits:
- Courtship feeding helps form over 95% of pair bonds. Mates are chosen based on courtship vigour.
- Males can be polygamous, pairing up with more than one female at a time.
- Females exhibit synchronous ovulation allowing the rapid laying of consecutive eggs.
- Incubation can start after the first egg is laid resulting in staggered hatching.
- Both sexes develop brood patches – bare skin on the belly to transfer heat.
- The male parent spends more time guarding and feeding the young.
- Juveniles reach sexual maturity quickly at 4-5 months of age.
Mating Challenges
Collared doves exhibit prolific breeding but their reproductive success is hampered by certain threats:
- Adverse weather like storms or prolonged rain can destroy nests and eggs.
- Predators like cats, birds of prey and snakes raid vulnerable nests for eggs and chicks.
- Parasites like mites, lice and blood protozoans infest and weaken mates.
- Shortage of food during chick rearing lowers fledging rates.
- Human activities like habitat loss and pesticides reduce breeding populations.
Overcoming these challenges involves selecting secure nesting spots, synchronizing brooding with seasonal food availability and escaping parasite infestations. Flexible mating strategies maximize reproductive fitness.
Comparison with Related Species
Collared doves display both similarities and differences in mating behaviours when compared to other dove species:
Species | Mating Season | Clutch Size | Incubation | Broods |
---|---|---|---|---|
Collared dove | March-October | 2 eggs | 14-18 days | 4-6 |
Mourning dove | March-September | 2 eggs | 14-15 days | 3-6 |
Laughing dove | January-December | 2 eggs | 13-15 days | 5-7 |
Rock dove | February-September | 2 eggs | 17-19 days | 4-6 |
Similarities include:
- Monogamous breeding system with shared parental duties.
- Modest clutch sizes of 2 eggs.
- Multiple brooding in a single season.
Differences include:
- Laughing doves can breed year-round due to tropical range.
- Mourning doves have shorter incubation periods.
- Rock doves have longer incubation requirements.
Overall, the mating strategies are evolutionarily conserved across dove species with local adaptations.
Conclusion
In summary, collared doves are prolific breeders exhibiting unique courtship displays, rapid nest building and multiple matings over an extended breeding season. Both sexes invest heavily in nesting and caring for the altricial young. Flexible mating behaviours balanced against environmental factors lead to high reproductive success in collared doves.