White-winged Collared-Dove Streptopelia reichenowi Scientific name definitions

25 cm; 98–135 g. Head dark bluish grey merging to a paler hue on face, breast and flanks; some feathers of head tipped with brown; throat, belly and undertail-coverts creamy white; upperparts brown, a broad black half-collar separating grey head from brown mantle; outer wing-coverts pale blue-grey with broad white fringes on most of feathers, thus forming a white band across open wing; primaries and primary-coverts black; central rectrices brown, other rectrices brown with grey edges and white tips; basal third of rectrices black and undersides grey-white; iris yellow or silvery orange; bill black; legs pink. Female has grey areas suffused with brown. Juvenile paler and browner with most of feathers buff or tawny fringed.

SE Ethiopia and along R Shebelle and R Jubba in SW Somalia, along with all Ethiopian tributaries.

In SE Ethiopia, inhabits broad-leaved trees within 2 km of rivers. In Somalia, only occurs in riparian woodland of doum and fan palms (Hyphaene, Borassus aethiopicum); avoids neighbouring Acacia bush.

Resident.

Red berries have been found in birds' crops. No further information available.

Advertising call a bisyllabic note repeated quickly (c. 2 notes/second), with the second syllable longest and distinctly rolling, “cu-rrrruh..cu-rrrruh..cu-rrrruh...”. First note of a series usually incomplete, and towards end notes may end abruptly, become less articulated or bird may switch to a faster series of rolling notes.

Jan–Feb in Ethiopia. Nest is a loose, 15 cm platform of interlaced petioles and twigs, situated 2·5 m high in a Parkinsonia tree. Clutch consists of 2 white eggs. No further information available.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered near-threatened. Very poorly known, but apparently still common to abundant in its highly restricted range. Possible effects of protracted civil war in the zone unknown. Research required.