Around my house, I have frequently seen 3 species of doves: Eurasian collared, White-winged and Mourning. The most common here is the Eurasian collared dove:
According to the experts, this dove is larger than either the White-winged or Mourning doves, but they all look the same size to me.
This species comes from Europe and Asia presumably, and has covered most of the continent after being introduced to Florida in the 1970s. I'd prefer indigenous species like the Mourning dove, but if they can survive here without my help and aren't wiped out by the many raptors around here, then maybe they belong. I am a little concerned about the native species -- interbreeding and competition can't be a good thing.
Right now, there are about 30 doves living around my house. Most of them are Eurasian collareds, but there is a small percentage of the other two species in the mix. I'll take some pictures of the others when the opportunity presents itself. There's a cycle -- the flock grows to around 50 birds, the hawks move in and kill off 90% of them, then the flock grows to around 50 birds again.
I have a friend in California who works as a butcher. He said these birds are delicious, told me how to clean the carcass for consumption and suggested I eat them. Although I'm not opposed to hunting. I'd rather just shoot them with my camera. I have to admit though -- I do wonder sometimes how they would look and smell, roasting in my oven.
No comments:
Post a Comment