European collared dove,
Streptopelia decaocto
(03/2021 in Berlaar, Belgium)

The original distribution of this pigeon species reached from Turkey to Japan. It has been spreading very quickly in Europe since the 1930s. The European collared dove appeared in Germany in 1945, in Belgium in 1950 and in Great Britain in 1953. In 1974, fewer than 50 doves escaped captivity in the Bahamas. They spread to Florida and now they are found in almost every state in the U.S. as well as in Mexico.

European collared doves are not migratory, but strongly dispersive. They breed close to human habitation. Almost every nest is within 1 km of inhabited buildings. They avoid forest areas, but need trees to breed (preferably conifers).