COLOR VARIATION OF STREPTOPELIA DECAOCTO(AVIS, COLUMBIDAE)WITH SOME NOTES ON ENDOPARASITES

The present paper includes a study of color variation in Iraqi Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto. Three different populations have been recognized: the southern population which belongs to the Indian race, the northern population to the Eurasian race; the dark and light color variation occurs in the Baghdad population because of hybridization between the two races, found infected with two cestodes, Raillietina echinobothrida found in most of our specimens, while the dark face found beside R. echinobothridainfected withIdiogenes sp. getting it probably from vertebrate sources.We believe that most of the Baghdad population was intermediate between north and south races. Reduction of population density of this dove in Baghdad area was caused by diseases, hybridization and competition