Cities favour the recent establishment and current spread of the Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) in Dominican Republic

Abstract

The Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) spread over the world in the last century. Its presence in America started in the Caribbean islands in the 1970s due to an accidental escape, but the establishment of this non-native species in Dominican Republic (La Hispaniola Island) remains unclear despite of the existence of recent records and its presence in nearby countries since decades ago. We combined citizen science data (compiled in eBird) together with a largescale survey conducted in 2017 (travelling approximately 2,150 kilometers across the main habitats of the island) to ascertain the current invasion status of the species in Dominican Republic. Our results indicate that the species probably colonized -or was introduced into- the island in 2002, being now well established in cities distant up to 270 km far from the city where it was firstly recorded. The current spatial distribution and recent exponential increase in the number of individuals recorded suggest that the spread to more cities and even natural habitats is likely to occur in the near future. Further research is needed to assess its possible impacts on native biodiversity.