Blue-spotted Wood Dove - BirdForum Opus

Turtur afer

Photo by Steve G
Abuko, the Gambia.

Identification

18-21cm
Distinguished from the similar Black-billed Wood-Dove by its prominent dark-blue wing spots, more pronounced bluish cap, bicoloured dark-red bill with a pale tip, more earthy-brown body colour and lack of a loral line.

Distribution

Africa south of the Sahara:
Western Africa: Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
'Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, South Africa
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po)

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Subspecies liberiensis is generally considered invalid^[2]

Habitat

Moist broadleaved woodland along river courses.

Behaviour

Vocalisation

Call: du-du-du-du.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blue-spotted Wood Dove. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-spotted_Wood_Dove

External Links

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