The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a widespread dove species found across Europe and Asia. It is an introduced species in many parts of the world outside its native range. This medium-sized dove has a distinctive black collar on the back and sides of its neck, from which it gets its name. The Eurasian collared dove has many regional common names across its vast range, including some interesting Indian names. In this article, we will explore the Indian names used for the Eurasian collared dove in the languages spoken across the Indian subcontinent.
Eurasian Collared Dove Overview
The Eurasian collared dove is a member of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. Some key facts about this species include:
- Scientific name: Streptopelia decaocto
- Other common names: Collared Dove, European Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove
- Native range: Europe and Asia
- Introduced range: North America, Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand
- Length: 28-32 cm
- Wingspan: 47-55 cm
- Weight: 125-240 g
- Plumage: Pale grey-buff body, with black half collar on nape of neck. Dark grey wings with black bars. Long tapered tail.
- Voice: Cooing “coo-COO-coo” call
- Nest: Twig platform nest in trees or ledges
- Eggs: 2 white eggs
- Diet: Seeds, grains, berries
The Eurasian collared dove has expanded its range dramatically in the last century thanks to its adaptability to human habitats. It is now found through much of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Populations have also become established through introductions in the Americas and Oceania.
Eurasian Collared Dove in India
The Eurasian collared dove is a common resident breeding bird in many parts of India. Its range covers a large part of the Indian subcontinent.
In India, the collared dove is found in urban and rural habitats like farmlands, orchards, groves, gardens, and scrub forest. It has adapted very well to live alongside humans.
The species is more common in the drier parts of India, including the northwestern states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Its range also extends across the Indo-Gangetic plains and central India. The collared dove’s range covers Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh as well.
Being such a widespread bird across India, the Eurasian collared dove is known by many regional names in the languages of India.
Indian Names for the Eurasian Collared Dove
India has incredible linguistic diversity, with several language families, hundreds of languages and dialects spoken across the country. This diversity is reflected in the many colorful Indian names for the Eurasian collared dove.
Names in Indo-Aryan Languages
Most languages of northern, central and eastern India belong to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. Some Indian names for the collared dove in Indo-Aryan languages include:
- Hindi – lamba kabutar
- Marathi – golamb
- Gujarati – lejo kabutar
- Punjabi – kaleje wala kabutar
- Urdu – juray wala kabutar
- Bengali – lamba galda
- Oriya – boidik kabutara
- Assamese – boroguhila
The names describe the ‘long’ body shape of the dove, as well as its distinctive black collar, like kaleje wala kabutar in Punjabi, meaning ‘dove with a black neck’.
Names in Dravidian Languages
Dravidian languages like Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam are spoken in southern India. Some Dravidian names for the Eurasian collared dove include:
- Tamil – pattu ozugini
- Malayalam – thavala ozungi
- Kannada – kaidi aale
- Telugu – bada potigadu
The names in Dravidian languages also refer to the dove’s distinctive collar, like pattu ozugini in Tamil, meaning ‘dove with lined neck’.
Names in other language families of India
India has other language families like Austroasiatic and Sino-Tibetan languages spoken by minority communities and tribes. Examples of names in these languages are:
- Santhali (Austroasiatic) – horhoppo
- Lepcha (Sino-Tibetan) – furr munia
Significance of Indian Names for Birds
The diverse Indian names for the Eurasian collared dove give insights into how birds are perceived by the languages and cultures of India.
Some key points about the Indian names are:
- Most names accurately describe the dove’s prominent physical features like the black collar or elongated tail.
- The names equate the dove to familiar symbols in Indian culture like a turtle dove.
- The names often use informal daily vocabulary like ozungi (Tamil) and kabutar (Hindi) for dove.
- The names reflect how birds are woven into the local cultures, traditions and legends of India.
- The use of native Indian words shows how languages adapt vocabulary for native and introduced bird species.
Overall, the Indian names showcase how birds are celebrated in Indian languages and give a window into each language’s expression. The rich variety mirrors India’s biodiversity, where the collared dove is just one of 1300+ species of birds.
Scientific Naming of the Eurasian Collared Dove
While the Eurasian collared dove has evocative Indian names, its scientific name also tells the story of the species.
The collared dove’s binomial scientific name is Streptopelia decaocto. This name has two parts:
- Genus name: Streptopelia – Refers to the taxonomic genus containing collared doves and other Streptopelia doves
- Species epithet: decaocto – This comes from Ancient Greek roots and means eighteen, referring to the 18 black feathers on the dove’s neck collar
Scientific names are derived from Greek and Latin roots. They follow a set of rules under the binomial system developed by Carl Linnaeus. The key features of scientific naming are:
- Binomial – Each species given a two word name with Genus and species epithet
- Standardized – Follows strict guidelines set by the ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature)
- Universal – Scientific names are unique across languages and cultures
- Informative – Names often describe key traits or origin (like decaocto for the neck collar)
Scientific naming allows precise communication across the globe about species like the Eurasian collared dove. While common names can be ambiguous, the species’ scientific name has only one fixed meaning agreed upon by scientists.
Conclusion
The Eurasian collared dove demonstrates how a single bird species can have a diversity of names describing it across the languages of India. These names often visualize the species’ features or compare it to culturally significant symbols. At the same time, scientific naming complements vernacular naming by uniquely identifying the collared dove worldwide based on a universal system. Both vernacular and scientific naming aid humans in comprehending and studying biodiversity. The collared dove is a fine example of how we use language to connect with the creatures sharing our world.