Hi Ben, Eliminating the Ringed-turtle Dove is very simple in Minnesota. While ferral populations will breed to darker plumage, any Ring-turtle Doves that you find in Minnesota should be escapees and not ferral, ie the off-spring of escapees. At least I have heard of no reports of any that have escaped are being seen for the years that it will take to replace any hardy escapees with ferral bred and reverted plumage. Ringed-turtle doves were a common domestically bred bird for the caged trade. I don't believe they are popular now. My bird sales contact does not and has not sold them. They are sold commercially as a pure white bird with a black ring on its neck. they will be much lighter than the birds in the field guides and would not be close to the plumage of the Eurasian Collard Dove. If you want to see what Turtle Doves look like, look at the closing scenes of the movie "Big Foot" where he is standing in a tree with doves perched on him. Chances are if you find one or two they will be in the large urban centers rather in the small towns that are for now hosting our Eurasian Collared Doves (ECD). Although I would expected the ECD's to start showing up in all kinds of locations and not just in the vicinity of grain sources.
Steve Weston on Quigley Lake in Eagan swest...@comcast.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Benjamin Fritchman" <fieldfar...@hotmail.com> To: <mou-...@cbs.umn.edu> Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 9:48 AM Subject: [mou] Red Phalarope, EC Doves > Sorry about not posting last night as I should have, but I refound the red > Phalarope at about 6:30 last night in the NE corner of Salt Lake. It was > pretty easy to pick out and it spent most of its time out in the water a few > feet, I guess as most phalaropes do. The bird seemed pretty content feeding > there, so it might stick around for awhile. > > Also of note, I found 2 Eurasian-collared Doves in Marietta, MN, the town 5 > miles from Salt Lake. I was driving through when they flew up from the road, > and one landed on the telephone pole. I got really good scope views of it > and was able to eilminate Ringed-turtle Dove. They were seen at the > intersection of 7 and 40 right in town. One flew into the trees in the SW > corner of this intersection. > > Ben Fritchman > > _________________________________________________________________ > Check out Election 2004 for up-to-date election news, plus voter tools and > more! http://special.msn.com/msn/election2004.armx > > _______________________________________________ > mou-net mailing list > mou-...@cbs.umn.edu > http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
