On Jun 2, 2009, at 4:59 PM, Ken and Tina wrote:

> the song is wrong for the Mourning Dove


But does it sound like a Eurasian Collared-Dove? That would be
definitive.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/sounds/collared_dove.mp3
> The monotonous, loud cooing song of the Collared Dove sounds like
> "coo-Coo-coo", but is perhaps best remembered as either "u-nit-ed"
> or "I don't know".

Though "u-niii-ted" might be a better rendering, sounding like a
morose football/soccer fan.



Or you can listen to a BBC drama or comedy set in the suburbs in the
summer and hear Eurasian Collared-Dove song in the background. It's a
part of the UK summer background sounds.


Another possibility (maybe) is escaped African Collared-Dove
(previously Ringed Turtle-Dove)

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/EucdovRitdovID.htm

> Their respective songs are quite different and can be helpful in
> distinguishing the two species. John Schmitt described their songs
> in the Autumn 1998 issue of Birdscope: "The Eurasian Collared-
> Dove's song is a coarse, rapidly delivered, three-part cooing,
> which contrasts with the hollow, rolling, two-part cooing of the
> African Collared-Dove." The three parts of the Eurasian Collared-
> Dove song are three separate instances of the bird saying "coo"
> with the middle "coo" being much longer than the first and last.
>

e.g.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/naturesongs/
domdove1.wav/file.wav

with the comment

> This is their mating song - listen for the funny inhaling sound
> (like one of those moo-ing toys when you turn it upside-down!).
>

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/naturesongs/
domdove2.wav/file.wav

which sounds like demented laughter to me.

See the original page (with the usual plugin/javascript madeness)

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/sounds/
Streptopelia_roseogrisea.html

--
Kevin Purcell
kevinpurcell at pobox.com