Spotted Dove
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| Streptopelia chinensis Scopoli, 1768 |
The Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to south China and Southeast Asia.
It is a common and widespread species in open woodland, farmland and habitation over a good deal of its natural range, and this successful bird has also been introduced to the US, northern Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, it was introduced in Melbourne in the 1860's and has since spread, often replacing native doves.
This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.
Spotted Dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 31cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are pale brown, heavily spotted with buff. In flight, it shows blackish flight feathers bordered on the inner edge with pale grey. Sexes are similar, but immatures are duller than adults.
The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to pale grey on the face and lower belly. There is a black neck patch finely spotted with white. The legs are red. The call is a low and gentle coo-coo-croo, with the emphasis on last note.
Spotted Doves eat grass seeds, grains and other vegetation. They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation. It breed all year round with nests commonly found in trees, edge of buildings or even on the ground.
Like some other doves in this genus, they are not particularly gregarious, and are usually alone, or in pairs. It is tame but can be flustered around sudden noises.
References
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
- "Australian Birds: A Concise Photographic Field Guide" by Trounsen and Trounsen ISBN 1-875999-47-7