Alternative name: Eastern Spotted Dove
- Streptopelia chinensis
Stigmatopelia chinensis
Identification
27·5–30 cm
- Pale brown back, wings and tail, heavily spotted with buff
- Blackish flight feathers bordered on the inner edge with pale grey
- Pink head and underparts
- Pale grey face and lower belly
- Black neck patch finely spotted with white
- Red legs
Sexes are similar
Juveniles are duller than adults often lacking the patchy neckband when very immature.
Distribution
Southern Asia from Nepal, India and Sri Lanka east to south China and Southeast Asia. It has been introduced to parts of the United States and Australia.
An abundant introduction in the Hawaiian Islands.
Taxonomy
Sometimes placed in genus Spilopelia[2].
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:[1]
- S. c. suratensis:
- Northern India to Malaya, Indochina, Philippines, Greater and Lesser Sundas
Habitat
Open woodland, farmland and habitation.
Behaviour
They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation.
Breeding
They breed throughout the year. Their round with stick nests are found in trees, edge of buildings or on the ground. The clutch consists of 2 white, glossy eggs.
Diet
The diet is not too well recorded but is known to include grass and herb seeds, grains and small fruit.
Vocalisation
Call: a repeated sequence of coos
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Spotted Dove. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spotted_Dove
External Links
