adult

adult in flight European distribution adults feeding on ground

Identification

The Stock Dove is an attractive bird which is sadly overlooked by many birdwatchers who dismiss it as 'just a pigeon' because they can't be bothered to distinguish it from Feral Pigeons. At rest they just look uniformly dull grey unless you are close enough to see a shiny green patch on the side of the neck, a pinkish breast and only very small black bars in the wing. In flight they again look dull grey apart from a diagnostic broad black border around most of the wing.

Habitat

Breeds in open woods, parks, farmland and also in ruins. Winters on farmland, particularly stubble fields.

Behaviour

Like all pigeons, Stock Doves have a well-developed crop; a sac inside the throat where food can be stored before it is digested. This enables the bird to gather plenty of seeds quickly before retreating to a safe place where the food can be digested properly.

Migration

A resident bird in temperate regions but to some extent migratory elsewhere; birds from NE and central Europe migrate to Mediterranean areas, especially Spain.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Stock Dove is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk 26/07/2010	Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk 26/07/2010	Druridge Pools, Northumbs 18/07/2010	Horley, Surrey 16/04/2010	Alcester, Warks 02/07/2010
Speech House, Glos 26/06/2010	Great Blakenham, Suffolk 20/06/2010	Upton Warren, Worcs 15/05/2010	Upton Warren, Worcs 15/05/2010	Alcester, Warks 14/05/2010

 View all pictures of Stock Dove

Stock Dove breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Britain
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

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