I have lived in Cambodia for almost 3 decades and I don’t even know that we have red collared dove. We only have 2 dove species in Cambodia, red collared dove (លលកទ្រាំង) and spotted dove (លលកបាយ). Old people said that nature created red-collared doves to be able to lay a pair of eggs with one male and one female. So when they hatch, they are paired and get to be together. If one of the two eggs breaks or if one of the two doves is shot, the remaining one will live alone forever. We don’t know if that is true or not, but we are going to talk more about their general information below.
Appearance
Red-collared doves are small birds that grow at a length of 20.5 to 23 centimeters. A male red-collared dove has a bluish head and a light red-brown body with a ring around its neck. The females have a similar coloration but it is pinkish all over. Their flight feathers are black with a grayish tail that has blackish sides, and they have black bill and red legs. Both sexes have a prominent black collar on the nape with a red back, mantle, wing coverts, and underparts.
Feeding & Habitats
Not different from other dove species, the red-collared doves feed on a variety of grains that they can find. Some of the most common ones are grass seeds, maize, and rice as well as buds, leaves, herbs, and shoots. When regular food is scarce, a red-collared dove may also feed on insects as well.
The range of these doves is a little tricky as the distribution is not too wide. It is found in Taiwan and some countries in Southeast Asia, and these birds migrate to India and Pakistan to breed. The habitats that they prefer are canals, roadside tree plantations, and other areas with trees for them to nest. They also inhabit fry forests open country with trees, scrub forests, and other forest edges near agricultural fields and farms. These birds like habitats with taller trees where they can roost. During migration, they will fly in small flocks before splitting up and pairing to breed.
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