Eurasian collared dove
Although the Barbary dove is normally assigned its own systematic name, as "Streptopelia risoria", considerable doubt exists as to its appropriate classification. Some sources assert confidently that it is a domesticated form of the Eurasian collared dove ("S. decaocto"), but the majority of evidence points to it being a domesticated form of the African collared dove ("S. roseogrisea"). It appears that it can hybridize freely with either species, and its status as a species must therefore be regarded as doubtful. However, because of the wide use of both the common and systematic names, it is best to consider it separately from either of the putative parent species. Their time of domestication is also uncertain. While Linnaeus described them in 1756, they may have been imported into Italy from North Africa in the late 16th century.