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I'm admittedly bird species blind. I can't tell the difference, but comparing to Google images of Collared doves I'd guess that yes, those are eurasian collared doves.
The furthest one back on the right sure looks like it has the black collar on it. We have them really thick in my neighborhood. No closed season or bag limit. If your hungry you can turn these...... [/IMG][/URL] Into these..... [/IMG][/URL] Sorry, I couldn't resist, jimmy
Check out Jim's funbirdhunting or type in Arizonia dove hunting and he will come up on U-tube. He shoots these eurasians on cattle farms. He is one hell of a shot! In several of his videos he compare the eurasians and the mourning doves. It will be quite obvious. Here in New Mexico the collared are very light in color and most distinctly have the band on their neck. Mourning and white-wings do not have the band. In his videos he also says he shoots an African collared dove. That may be what you have as it is darker in color than our eurasians. It is possible you have both species in your photo (mourning on the left, collared on the right) If it has the distinctive band on the back of their neck they are fair game for the pellet rifle; it is not a native species. If you see black dots on the body it is most likely a mourning dove. The eurasians are about 1/3 larger than the mourning doves. Once you know what you are looking and actually see one, it will be quite easy to tell the next time.
The reason I ask is if they are the invasive species I will shoot them if they are not invasive species I will leave them alone. I like to bird watch at my house and don't shoot any of the bids, we have feeders and many different species come here I like seeing all the different species. These three have been hanging around for the last week and they seem to be much larger than the type I am used to seeing. I am not anti hunting by no means I just don't shoot stuff I don't eat and I really don't like dove meat it is too gammy for my taste. I do believe it is our duty to remove invasive species when we can.
you should try marinating them in Italian dressing or Alegro steak sauce over night. I then cook them on the grill with onions, peppers, garlic, and green chile on open aluminum foil. you might change your mind! Put the chile with the marinade as well. If they have the band they are not native.
These for sure all have the band. I have hunted Mourning doves in Cal most of my life and these are different. If I shoot some I will post a close up picture. They seem to spook very easy. I will try your recipe.
I tried a new recipe last night with the doves I've killed so far this season. It was basically chicken fried dove, very good! And yes, I'd say the right bird is a euro, and the other two are morning.
Rear one looks like a Collared Dove. The front looks like a Mourning dove.The Collared doves are larger and lighter in color than Mourning doves, tail is square rather than pointed. Mourning doves' wings whistle in flight, Collareds' do not. The Collared dove also makes a distinctive and somewhat annoying "Kree-eeew" in display flight. They catch on very quickly once they are hunted and will read your stance and take off if you are slow to shoot.Be aware that Mourning doves are considered migratory birds (at least in California) and it is not legal to take them with airguns, unless it is an air shotgun.
See this link on U-tube. I didn't know this but there are both African and Eurasian collarded doves at least here in the southwest. Watching this video (if he is correct), it appears that near my home in Albuquerque, I am seeing the lighter phase which is the African not the Eurasian. He actually compares the two side by side in this video. He definitely has as he states a "target rich areas". His facebook is Jim's funbirdhunting. Hope this helps. Doc