Stock Dove
Columba oenasLinnaeus, 1758
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Endangered species EN [A4c], BDA-III.
General distribution. A European-Turkestan species with a breeding area from Eire to Kazakhstan, the Mediterranean coast of Northwestern Africa, Turkey, Iraq, Iran. It settled in Western Europe in the 19th and the 20th century.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. Resident and passage migrant. In the past it was distributed throughout the country [1]. In Northern Bulgaria it started declining in the 1940s [2], and until 1980 also on the larger part of its breeding territory [3]. The decline in numbers was reported in 87 forestries (G. Spiridonov, L. Mileva – unpublished information from the Bulgarian Forestries Questionnaire, 1989). Its breeding territory considerably decreased in the mountains Western and Central Balkans, Sredna Gora and on the western border of Bulgaria, as well as in the Ludogorie region. There are no changes in Strandzha and the Rila-Rhodope massif [3, 4]. The numbers are estimated at 250 – 400 breeding pairs [5].
Habitats. Old beech, beech-coniferous, oak, coniferous, riverside and flooded forests from the valleys to altitudes of 2 000 m [3, 6, 7, 8].
Biology. It arrives in February-April and leaves in October-November. Some birds winter in the country. Its breeding period is from the middle of March until the middle of August [3, 9]; it breeds in hollows of the black wood pecker or in hollows of trees at a height of up to 25 m, rarely in rocks [10, 11, 12]. It has 2 or 3 clutches, usually with 2 eggs each; in Russia up to 4 clutches [13]. It incubates for 16-18 days, mainly the female bird. The young ones stay in the nest for 27-28 days, sometimes only 20 [10]. In an old beech forest in the Central Balkan range on an area of 45 ha, 4 breeding pairs were found [14]. A density of 0,2-4 pairs/1 000 ha is given for most of the area [6].
Similar species. Some semi-wild doves.
Negative factors. Felling old forests. Poisoning by wheat corn treated with pesticides is possible [15].
Conservation measures taken. Protected according to the Biological Diversity Act. Declaration of the mountains Cenral Balkans, Pirin and Rila as National Parks and of Strandzha, the Rila Monastery, Sinite kamani and Balgarka Natural Parks. About 30% of the population breeds in protected territories.
Conservation measures needed. Declaration of Natural Parks in the mountains Western Balkans, Kotlenska Planina, Sredna Gora, Northern Strandzha and the Western Rhodopes; enlargement of the Pirin National Park; ban on felling in the protected territories and zones; restriction of sanitary felling in old forests; planned increase of the areas of old forests.
References. 1. Patev, 1950. 2. Mountfort, Ferguson-Lees, 1961. 3. Spiridonov, 1985. 4. Iankov, in press; 5. BirdLife International, 2004. 6. Mockel, 1988. 7. Reiser, 1894. 8. Boetticher, 1919. 9. Paspaleva-Antonova, 1964. 10. Makatsch, 1976. 11. Simeonov, 1967. 12. Nankinov, Spiridonov, 1980. 13. Ivanchev, 2000. 14. Spiridonov, 1982. 15. Yeatman, 1976.
Author: Geko Spiridonov
