Pigeons & Doves

 

 

Rock Dove/Feral Colm Aille Columba livia

Common throughout as Feral Pigeon. Almost impossible in the county to confidentially identify any as true wild Rock Doves at this stage.

Genuinely wild stock, if it still exists, is confined principally to headlands and islands of the south-west, with small populations at cliff sites in south and east of the county.

Global Distribution: True wild populations were also found in Scotland and the Scottish Isles, southern Europe, Africa, Middle east and south west Asia.
Introduced and has become feral in many other countries.

 

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

 

Stock Dove Colm Gorm Columba oenas

Widespread resident breeding species.

Generally not numerous anywhere, although winter flocks are not uncommon.

Global Distribution: Europe, North Africa and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

 

Woodpigeon Colm Coille Columba palumbus

Common resident breeding species.

Numerous records at headlands and islands in autumn may indicate that the winter population is increased by immigrants.

Global Distribution: Europe, Africa and Asia.

 

Summer Distribution

 

Winter Distribution

Collared Dove Fearán Baicdhubh Streptopelia decaoto

Common breeding resident, probably supplemented by passage migrants / winter visitors as evidenced by records at headlands and islands in spring and autumn.

These records may however refer to birds moving locally. First recorded in the county at Ballinacurra in July 1962.

Global Distribution: Europe, North Africa and Asia.

 

 

Summer Distribution 1968-72

 

Summer Distribution 2008-11

 

Winter Distribution 2008-11

European Turtle Dove Fearán Eorpach Streptopelia turtur

Scarce passage migrant, with records evenly split between spring and autumn.

Most records in May, September and October.

Has breed in the county on very rare occasions in the past.

Global Distribution: The species is a widespread migrant breeder across much of central and southern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, wintering mainly in the Sahel zone of Africa (Baptista et al. 2015). It has undergone large range declines in north-west Europe, including the Netherlands and the U.K. (e.g. Balmer et al. 2013), and the population continues to decrease throughout Europe. (BirdLife International 2015).

 

Mourning Dove Fearán Gubhach Zenaida macroura

Rare Vagrant.

One county record up to the end of 2020.

2009 One at Garinish Point on the 25th October 2009. This is the first county and second Irish record.

Global Distribution: Resident across most of North America, migratory in the very north. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)