Stock Dove
Dove ( Columba oenas )
The Dove ( Columba oenas ) is a species of bird in the family of pigeons ( Columbidae ). It is one of the five species of pigeons which occur in Central Europe.
Description
The Dove has a body length of 28-32 cm, a wingspan of 60-66 cm. This makes it about as big as the feral pigeon and significantly smaller than a wood pigeon. Males weigh on average about 300 g, females about 270 g
The plumage is blue-gray, no white feathers on the rump and wing parts. The sides of the neck are glossy green and the chest pale orange. The Wings of the Dove are wide margins black. The eyes are black. Males and females have the same coloring. The call sounds something like " hu ru ".
Distribution and habitat
The Dove comes from Europe to western Siberia and Asia Minor and North Africa before.
From February to November, the stock dove in forests and parks of almost all of Europe (except Iceland and northern Scandinavia ) to watch. She has to rely on old-growth forest, closely linked to occurrence of a black woodpecker nesting cavities because of the. Doves are migratory and migrate in the winter to western and southern Europe. The total amount of the Dove is considered IUCN as stable and unthreatened.
Nutrition
The Dove feeds on fruits, seeds, berries, acorns and plant parts. Your food it seeks to fields and other green spaces.
Reproduction
The breeding season extends from March to September. The courtship is initiated by the male by bows. The pairing is preceded beaks and feathers crawl. The female lays two eggs in a tree cavity ( mostly old caves of the Black woodpecker ), which is designed with stalks, twigs and leaves. Correspondingly large nest boxes are also accepted. Males and females share the breeding and care of the boys. The incubation period is 16 to 17 days.