Barbary Doves NZ

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
paradoxdinokipi
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:51 pm

Barbary Doves NZ

Postby paradoxdinokipi » Wed Jul 19, 2023 12:41 pm

Just wondering, how countable are barbary doves? Specifically around Auckland? I understand that they're regularly reported on eBird and all, with there probably? being a breeding pop around Ambury, but I'm still not too sure if I can fully rule out escapees for them for some reason. As just this morning, I randomly came across a flock of around 5 of them, (around North-East Auckland), and for some reason I just can't get over the worries of them being escapees. Although, they didn't seem? to show signs of captivity, (no rings I could notice or particular wear&tear in their feathers, although I didn't have my glasses on), they weren't all too flighty but I feel that's kind of just typical of birds around here. One showed some patchy leucism on it's back but I feel that's pretty normal, especially in feral domestics, so I'm still just conflicted on whether I should post this on eBird and update my year-list, any advice would be nice.
Also has anybody looked into undertail-coverts/webs on the barbary doves around here? I remember seeing this blog-post http://thelittlestint.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-reliable-field-mark-to-distinguish.html on differentiating between barbary and eurasian collared doves in the Canarys and it seemed quite sound, but I feel the doves here are a bit different? Of the one which I actually could have a look for this feature, there didn't seem to be any black visible on the tail, and the presence of at least very thin, hardly visible, 'black' on the outer-web which seems to be an indicator for eurasians?? (Although there's also the possiblity that it was just basically white) quite simillar to this photo on NZBirdsOnline: https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/sites/all/files/12004633190-2%20Barbary%20Dove%2C%20Te%20Awanga.jpg

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