WhenToBird

Streptopelia decaocto · Columbidae

When Do Eurasian Collared-Doves Arrive in Iowa?

Adult Eurasian Collared-Dove
Photo: Ricard Busquets Reverte, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Eurasian Collared-Doves reach Iowa in early December, are common by late December, peak in the second week of July (3.9% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.

When to look

First arrivalsDec 1-7early December
Common byDec 22-31late December
PeakJul 8-14the second week of July
Most gone byOct 8-14the second week of October

Best: the second week of July. First arrivals early December; most are gone by the second week of October. Peak: on about 3.9% of Iowa checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 2.9% of 5551 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.4% of 3498 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.5% of 3803 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.4% of 4807 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.0% of 3613 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.7% of 4173 checklistsFeb 15-21: 3.8% of 5796 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.0% of 4394 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.9% of 5295 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.2% of 5679 checklistsMar 15-21: 3.3% of 5418 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.4% of 8613 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.7% of 6970 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.4% of 7511 checklistsApr 15-21: 3.6% of 8321 checklistsApr 22-30: 3.6% of 11976 checklistsMay 1-7: 3.9% of 11725 checklistsMay 8-14: 3.5% of 12626 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.5% of 9372 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.5% of 10330 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.7% of 5472 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.2% of 4568 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.6% of 3870 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.4% of 4780 checklistsJul 1-7: 4.0% of 4201 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.8% of 3605 checklistsJul 15-21: 4.0% of 3621 checklistsJul 22-31: 4.0% of 5093 checklistsAug 1-7: 3.7% of 3931 checklistsAug 8-14: 3.5% of 3488 checklistsAug 15-21: 3.3% of 3802 checklistsAug 22-31: 3.7% of 6293 checklistsSep 1-7: 3.3% of 5328 checklistsSep 8-14: 3.0% of 4622 checklistsSep 15-21: 3.3% of 4367 checklistsSep 22-30: 3.3% of 6086 checklistsOct 1-7: 3.3% of 4708 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.5% of 4791 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.5% of 4429 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.8% of 5633 checklistsNov 1-7: 2.1% of 4090 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.6% of 3416 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.4% of 3398 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.6% of 4679 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.1% of 3442 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.5% of 3322 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.2% of 4619 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.3% of 5113 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Iowa that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Iowa

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Greene CountyBest the second week of December · 20 checklists that week, 2,565 in all43%
  2. Lyon CountyBest late September · 17 checklists that week, 498 in all37%
  3. Cherokee CountyBest early October · 13 checklists that week, 360 in all34%
  4. Carroll CountyBest the second week of July · 16 checklists that week, 1,515 in all33%
  5. Winnebago CountyBest late December · 23 checklists that week, 596 in all28%
  6. Madison CountyBest the second week of August · 40 checklists that week, 2,941 in all27%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Brenton SloughDallas County, best early January · 29 checklists that week, 182 in all63%
  2. Cone Marsh Wildlife Management AreaLouisa County, best late June · 21 checklists that week, 1,002 in all30%
  3. Colo Wetland Wildlife Management AreaStory County, best late May · 25 checklists that week, 567 in all24%
  4. Lake MeyerWinneshiek County, best late April · 23 checklists that week, 275 in all23%
  5. Paul Errington Marsh Waterfowl Production AreaPolk County, best late September · 23 checklists that week, 512 in all22%
  6. Big G LakeDecatur County, best the second week of December · 39 checklists that week, 103 in all21%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Iowa, the Eurasian Collared-Dove is most often listed on checklists started between 7 and 9 am (4.3% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%12 am: too few checklists (96) to judge1 am: too few checklists (99) to judge2 am: too few checklists (67) to judge3 am: too few checklists (82) to judge4 am: too few checklists (201) to judge5 am: too few checklists (1888) to judge6 am: 3.9% of 11313 checklists7 am: 4.1% of 25717 checklists8 am: 4.4% of 29755 checklists9 am: 3.2% of 28897 checklists10 am: 2.7% of 26343 checklists11 am: 2.1% of 21210 checklists12 pm: 2.1% of 17662 checklists1 pm: 2.1% of 16595 checklists2 pm: 2.3% of 16405 checklists3 pm: 2.8% of 17030 checklists4 pm: 3.2% of 17378 checklists5 pm: 3.7% of 14251 checklists6 pm: 4.3% of 10349 checklists7 pm: 3.7% of 6233 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (2002) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (392) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (186) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (87) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January2.9%2.4%2.5%2.4%
February2.0%2.7%3.8%3.0%
March2.9%3.2%3.3%3.4%
April3.7%3.4%3.6%3.6%
May3.9%3.5%3.5%3.5%
June3.7%3.2%3.6%3.4%
July4.0%3.8%4.0%4.0%
August3.7%3.5%3.3%3.7%
September3.3%3.0%3.3%3.3%
October3.3%2.5%2.5%1.8%
November2.1%1.6%1.4%1.6%
December2.1%2.5%2.2%2.3%

Neighboring states

  • Missouri: year-round, peaks late July
  • Minnesota: year-round, peaks early August
  • Illinois: arrives early December, in the same week than Iowa
  • Nebraska: year-round, peaks late August

Common questions

When do Eurasian Collared-Doves arrive in Iowa?
Eurasian Collared-Doves reach Iowa in early December, are common by late December, peak in the second week of July (3.9% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of October.
When do Eurasian Collared-Doves leave Iowa?
Most Eurasian Collared-Doves have left Iowa by the second week of October, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early November.
When is the best time to see a Eurasian Collared-Dove in Iowa?
The Eurasian Collared-Dove is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 3.9% of Iowa checklists.
Where in Iowa are Eurasian Collared-Doves seen most often?
By county, Greene County, Lyon County, and Cherokee County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Eurasian Collared-Dove (counties with at least 200 checklists).