Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Least Concern
Red Turtle-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Taxonomy
French: Tourterelle à tête grise German: Zwerglachtaube Spanish: Tórtola cabecigrís
Other common names:
Red Collared-dove
Taxonomy:
Columba tranquebarica
Hermann
, 1804,Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu, India
.
Subspecies and Distribution
S. t. tranquebarica
(Hermann, 1804) – Sind and Punjab E to W Nepal, Bihar and Bengal, and S through peninsular India.
S. t. humilis
(Temminck, 1824) – NE Tibet, Nepal, NE India (Sikkim and Assam) and Andaman Is to Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina and on to N China, Taiwan and N Philippines.
Also Peninsular Malaysia#R and Sulawesi, where presumed to have been introduced.
Descriptive notes
20·5–23 cm; 104 g. Head bluish grey, merging into whitish grey above bill and in front of half-collar spanning hindneck; throat whitish; mantle, upper back, wing... read more
Voice
Advertising call a continuously repeated three- or four-note phrase, with pause between phrases... read more
Habitat
Inhabits open country with trees, scrub, jungle and dry woodland. Unlike its Asian congeners, it is... read more
Food and feeding
Feeds on seeds of grasses and herbs, as well as cultivated seeds, including rice and maize, buds and young leaves. Most if not all food... read more
Breeding
S populations breed when food is available; N populations await the favourable conditions of summer. Nest is a skimpy saucer or platform of... read more
Movements
N populations migratory, most birds moving to S Asia for winter. In Pakistan, present only in... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common to relatively abundant in some areas. Abundant in Pakistan, mainly in Punjab; not uncommon in Andaman Is; very common in Thailand; fairly... read more
A very distinctive species, previously linked with the S. decaocto group, but apparently closer to S. bitorquata#R. Birds of E Himalaya formerly separated as race murmensis. Two subspecies recognized.