Shanti – Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

“Shanti” is a Eurasian Collared Dove and an invasive species in the U.S. She came to Badger Run as a nestling. While we cannot rehab and release an invasive species, we do have permission from Fish and Wildlife to keep a Collared Dove as an educational ambassador. These doves are pervasive throughout U.S., but only arrived here about 1970 after escaping an aviary in the Bahamas and reaching Florida. By 1990, they had already spread as far as Oregon. As a member of our education team, Shanti teaches people about invasive species and why her species was so successful at populating this country.