I believe there is an undocumented subspecies of Streptopelia decipiens (African Mourning Dove, Mourning Collared Dove) in the Western lowlands of Ethiopia.
My friend JStanleyG originally posted here about this dove. I pointed it out to him when he came to work with me in Gambella in June 2016, but it looks like his post didn't get much traction. I wanted to continue the conversation, however, because I think it is certainly a new subspecies and needs to be documented somewhere.
Location: Gambella Regional State, Ethiopia (500-800m)
Date: Year round
Description: Exactly like Streptopelia decipiens except that eye-ring is absent/thin bluish, not red. Black collar with thin white border, yellow eye, red legs, strong white band on tail, overall greyish with some pink washing.
Voice: Call recorded, pretty much exactly like African Mourning Dove: a descending krrrrrrrr.
Distribution: In all my time here I have never seen a "normal" African Mourning Dove in Gambella, but have observed this bird from the state border on the Metu road all the through Gambella city to Itang, and then north throughout the Itang Special Woreda.
Attachments include: 3 pics (front, back, eye), 1 video, 1 audio of call (edited from longer video).
So what do you think? If it is a new subspecies, does anyone know where I could submit some documentation for making it official?
My friend JStanleyG originally posted here about this dove. I pointed it out to him when he came to work with me in Gambella in June 2016, but it looks like his post didn't get much traction. I wanted to continue the conversation, however, because I think it is certainly a new subspecies and needs to be documented somewhere.
Location: Gambella Regional State, Ethiopia (500-800m)
Date: Year round
Description: Exactly like Streptopelia decipiens except that eye-ring is absent/thin bluish, not red. Black collar with thin white border, yellow eye, red legs, strong white band on tail, overall greyish with some pink washing.
Voice: Call recorded, pretty much exactly like African Mourning Dove: a descending krrrrrrrr.
Distribution: In all my time here I have never seen a "normal" African Mourning Dove in Gambella, but have observed this bird from the state border on the Metu road all the through Gambella city to Itang, and then north throughout the Itang Special Woreda.
Attachments include: 3 pics (front, back, eye), 1 video, 1 audio of call (edited from longer video).
So what do you think? If it is a new subspecies, does anyone know where I could submit some documentation for making it official?
