Adamawa Turtle-Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha Scientific name definitions

c. 30–31 cm (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); 147–187 g (2 Carvalho, M. and Dias, S. (2006). First records in Guinea Bissau of Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha (Columbidae), with data on morphometrics and body condition. Ostrich. 77(1-2): 36-39. Close ). Forehead , face  and throat silver-grey; crown, nape , neck and breast bluish grey; a black patch on side of neck; lower breast and belly  dark pink with a purplish tinge; flanks, sides of rump, undertail-coverts and underwing dark bluish grey; mantle, back, rump and uppertail-coverts dark greyish brown with indistinct reddish-buff fringes; inner wing-coverts and inner secondaries blackish brown with buff edging, outer wing-coverts with grey and buff or grey edgings; primaries and outer secondaries dark greyish brown outer webs with narrow pale edgings; iris with inner ring pink or orange, outer ring dark; orbital skin dark red; bill black; legs purplish black. Female paler and duller. Juvenile also paler than male with generally ashy-brown body (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) and rufous fringes to feathers. S. turtur occurs throughout present species’ range in winter (Sept–Mar); it has white edges to neck-side feathers, more obvious fringes to wing-coverts and lacks bluish grey on upper breast (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ).

NC & E Nigeria, N Cameroon and extreme SW Chad; also recorded in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mali and Togo, but status unclear.

Inhabits edges of dense woods in rolling upland country, as well as wooded ravines, gullies and gallery forests (4 Dowsett, R. J., and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2005). Additions to the avifauna of Mali. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 12(2):119–124. Close ); also found in suburban and rural areas, in parkland and gardens (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), as well as plantations and crops (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ). Recorded to 1200 m in Cameroon (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ).

Generally sedentary, with some local movements, e.g. in Cameroon, where disperses from breeding areas after May, young from first broods after Feb (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ). Also reported to be nomadic; recent records from Togo and Senegal sometimes suggested to be evidence of this tendency, but in fact many records from Senegambia, at least are from known breeding season in E of range, suggesting that birds in W had simply been overlooked (6 Payne, R.B., Barlow, C.R. and Wacher, T. (2000). Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha in The Gambia, with comparison of its calls in The Gambia and Nigeria. Malimbus. 22(1): 37-40. Close ).

Feeds on small grass seeds; nothing further known of diet. Forages mostly on the ground, singly when breeding, but in flocks of up to 60 individuals when breeding completed, sometimes also with Spilopelia senegalensis (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ), S. vinacea and Columba guinea (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), and with S. turtur and S. decipiens in Senegambia (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Trisyllabic, slowly delivered song “cloor-cloor-clor” (or “TURRR turr-TURRR”) (7 Brouwer, J. (2003). The jizz of doves in the Sahel, and how to remember their calls. Bull. African Bird Club. 10(1): 43-46. Close ) has first two syllables each longer than the third, and all three on same pitch, with overall length of 2·2–2·4 seconds (6 Payne, R.B., Barlow, C.R. and Wacher, T. (2000). Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha in The Gambia, with comparison of its calls in The Gambia and Nigeria. Malimbus. 22(1): 37-40. Close ) (occasionally adds fourth syllable) (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), with harsh rattle given during courtship display and has purring call apparently sharper and deeper than that of S. turtur (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ).

Eggs Aug–Mar in NC Nigeria and similar in N Cameroon (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ), with season ending in early wet season (?) (2 Carvalho, M. and Dias, S. (2006). First records in Guinea Bissau of Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha (Columbidae), with data on morphometrics and body condition. Ostrich. 77(1-2): 36-39. Close ); song heard at similar times in Senegambia (6 Payne, R.B., Barlow, C.R. and Wacher, T. (2000). Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha in The Gambia, with comparison of its calls in The Gambia and Nigeria. Malimbus. 22(1): 37-40. Close ). Monogamous (8 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Display flight by male involves ascent with energetic flapping, one or two wing-claps at top of climb, followed by long, slow glide downwards on stiff wings and spread tail (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Both sexes (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) build thin flat loose platform nest, 15 cm in diameter, placed 2–5 m (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ) above ground, preferentially in Eucalyptus, Mangifera indica and Monterey macrocarpa (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), usually within 800 m of water (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ). Apparently double-brooded, at least in Cameroon (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ). Lays 1–2 (3 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) white eggs, size 27·5 mm × 22 mm (8 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ); nestling has dark flesh-brown skin, with white to pale yellow down (8 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Range greatly expanded during past two decades. In Nigeria, found mainly on Jos Plateau in NC of country; reported to be frequent at Falgore Game Reserve, but rare further S in Nindam Forest Reserve, a few birds occurring around Kaduna, Kari and Potiskum; less common than very widespread and locally sympatric S. senegalensis and C. guinea. In Togo, single record of a bird present Mar–May 1988, behaving as if defending territory. Also recently recorded at Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal, where one bird heard, trapped and photographed in Jan–Feb 1991, first discovered in Gambia in 1990, where since recorded from S of Georgetown I, upriver to Bansang, on both sides of river, including within Kunkilling Forest Reserve (6 Payne, R.B., Barlow, C.R. and Wacher, T. (2000). Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha in The Gambia, with comparison of its calls in The Gambia and Nigeria. Malimbus. 22(1): 37-40. Close ), and even more recently (2001–2005) found in NE Guinea-Bissau (2 Carvalho, M. and Dias, S. (2006). First records in Guinea Bissau of Adamawa Turtle Dove Streptopelia hypopyrrha (Columbidae), with data on morphometrics and body condition. Ostrich. 77(1-2): 36-39. Close ), at widespread localities in SW Mali (4 Dowsett, R. J., and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2005). Additions to the avifauna of Mali. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 12(2):119–124. Close ) and in C & N Guinea (9 Aversa, T. (2007). Bird observations from Dabola Prefecture, Guinea. Bull. African Bird Club. 14(1): 45–54. Close ). In Cameroon, apparently uncommon at best, with recent population estimate of 400–600 pairs (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ), and was not recorded at all during fieldwork spread over eight years in 1970s, but subsequently found in Bénoué National Park (10 Robertson, I. (1992). New information on birds in Cameroon. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 112(1):36–42. Close ) (where c. 80 pairs occur) and elsewhere, including Faro Reserve (5 Lapois, J.-M. (2001). Précisions sur la répartition de la Tourterelle de l’Adamaoua Streptopelia hypopyrrha au nord Cameroun. Malimbus. 23(1): 62-65. Close ).