THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
The adult Ring Dove has the general colour of the 
upper parts pale slate-grey, with a metallic sheen of purple 
and green on the neck ; on each side of the neck is a scaly 
patch of yellowish white feathers ; the mantle, scapulars 
and innermost secondaries are greyish brown; the outer 
web of some of the wing-coverts is white; the wings are 
dark brown margined with white ; the tail is dark brown, 
with a broad sub-terminal band of grey; the throat is 
lavender-grey, the breast lilac-grey, the abdomen, flanks, 
and under tail-coverts lavender-grey. Bill reddish orange 
at the base, yellow at the tip ; tarsi and toes pinkish red ; 
irides pale yellow. Length 16inches. ‘The first plumage 
somewhat closely resembles the adult, but is browner, and 
the white patches on the neck are absent. ‘The nestling 
is slate-grey, covered with straw-coloured hairy down. 
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