The story of the Eurasian Collared-Dove is captivating. A century ago, this species was found
primarily on the Indian subcontinent, although its range extended slightly into Europe, in
Turkey. In the early 1900s, however, the species began expanding its range significantly and
by 1950 had reached the British Isles. Today, collared-doves are living above the Arctic
Circle in Scandinavia.

While this activity proceeded in Europe, two things happened on this side of the Atlantic.
First, a similar-looking species, the Ringed Turtle-Dove, was introduced in South Florida and
other locations in the southern United States several decades ago. These introduced birds
soon established feral yet seemingly human-dependent populations, so field guides began
including pictures of Ringed Turtle-Doves.  Eurasian Collared-Doves were apparently
imported into the Bahamas during the 1970s when a supplier was unable to fill an order of
Ringed Turtle-Doves and sent Eurasian Collared-Doves instead.  About 50 of these doves
were released in 1974 as a result of an aviary break-in. Within ten years, the population
multiplied to at least 10,000 birds, and it started to spread to other islands.  By the mid-1980s
it reached the North American mainland near Miami, Florida, from where it has expanded its
range rapidly.  The species was documented in southern Illinois in the mid-1990s, and it has
recently been accepted on the official state checklist.

Because they look much like turtle-doves, the collared-doves started to spread unnoticed. It
wasn't until the mid-1980s that ornithologists realized the suddenly prolific and quickly
spreading "turtle-doves" they were watching were actually Eurasian Collared-Doves.

The collared-doves haven't stopped expanding their range since they arrived in North
America. One bird even spent last winter as far north as eastern Montana.