Dusky turtle dove

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Dusky turtle dove
Dusky Turtle Dove - Tanzania 2008-03-01 0094.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Streptopelia
Species:
S. lugens
Binomial name
Streptopelia lugens
(Rüppell, 1837)
Synonyms
  • Turtur lugens
  • Columba lugens
  • Peristera lugens [2]

The dusky turtle dove or pink-breasted turtle dove (Streptopelia lugens) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.

Contents

Description

The dusky turtle dove is a very dark or slaty gray dove, generally 28-30 centimeters long and 120–205 grams.

It has a gray face slightly paler than the body, conspicuous black patches on sides of the neck, and wing coverts and tertials with pale brown or rufous edges. Its eye is orange or orange-yellow with a purplish eye-ring. Its bill is purplish slate-gray. Its legs are red. Juvenile birds are paler and browner than adults. [3] [4] [5]

Distribution and habitat

The dusky turtle dove is found in East Africa and South Arabia: Eritrea, Somalia, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen (disjunctive population), and southern Saudia Arabia (disjunctive population).

It inhabits the Afrotropical Highlands Biome: in montane forest, forest edge, and woodland garden, between 1,800 and 3,200 meters in elevation. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Ecology and behavior

The dusky turtle dove’s diet consists of seeds, insects, and mollusks, foraged from the ground. It is active during the day (diurnal) and is usually solitary or in a small group (up to 10). [12]

The dusky turtle dove is socially monogamous. The female probably builds the nest, a loose platform of twigs lined with rootlets, usually in a tree, often a juniper, 2-3 meters above the ground. The clutch is usually 2 eggs. Both male and female incubate the eggs (20 days) and tend the nestlings (possibly 14-16 days). [13]

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Streptopelia lugens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T22690432A93273485. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690432A93273485.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Shelley, G. E. (1883). "On the Columbidæ of the Ethiopian Region". Ibis. 5. 1: 302. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  3. ↑ John, Jasson; et al. (2019). Birds of Western Tanzania: Gombe, Mahale, Rubondo, Saanane, Malagarasi, Ntakata, Minzir. Incheon: National Institute of Biological Resources. p. 176. ISBN   978-89-6811-396-3.
  4. ↑ Boland, Chris; Alsuhaibany, Abdullah (2020). The Birds of Saudi Arabia. Vol. 2. Saudi Aramco. p. 36. ISBN   978 1 86063 503 8.
  5. ↑ Shelley, G. E. (1883). "On the Columbidæ of the Ethiopian Region". Ibis. 5. 1: 302–303. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Aerts, R.; Lerouge, F.; November, E. (2019). "Birds of Forests and Open Woodlands in the Highlands of Dogu'a Tembien". In Nyssen, J.; Jacob, M.; Frankl, A. (eds.). Geo-Trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains: The Dogu’a Tembien District. SpringerNature. ISBN   978-3-030-04954-6.
  7. ↑ Abdul Wahab, Sura Abdul Munaff (2025). "Distribution and Species Diversity of the Dove Genus Streptopelia: A Systematic Review". Journal of Health and Biology. 1 (2): 84. doi:10.71428/JHB.2025.0203 . Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  8. ↑ Bekele, Samuel; Tekalign, Wondimagegnehu (2023). "Diversity and Relative Abundance of Avian Species in the Wetland Area Northwest of Lake Abaya, Southern Ethiopia". Scientific World Journal (9964189). doi:10.1155/2023/9964189 . Retrieved 22 February 2026.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  9. ↑ Bishobibiri Alexis, Bashonga; Sande, Eric; Kahindo, Charles; Ntakimazi, Gaspard (2023). "Checklist of the Bird Species from the Ruzizi Delta, Northern End of Lake Tanganyika, in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo" (PDF). Biolife. 11 (2): 122. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Mequanint, Ferehiwot; et al. (2024). "Larger and Older Church Forests Promote Bird Species Richness, Diversity and Resilience across Northwest Ethiopia's Deforested Landscapes". Global Ecology and Conservation. 24. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03165 . Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Boland, Chris; Alsuhaibany, Abdullah (2020). The Birds of Saudi Arabia. Vol. 2. Saudi Aramco. p. 36. ISBN   978 1 86063 503 8.
  12. ↑ Boland, Chris; Alsuhaibany, Abdullah (2020). The Birds of Saudi Arabia. Vol. 2. Saudi Aramco. p. 36. ISBN   978 1 86063 503 8.
  13. ↑ Boland, Chris; Alsuhaibany, Abdullah (2020). The Birds of Saudi Arabia. Vol. 2. Saudi Aramco. p. 36. ISBN   978 1 86063 503 8.
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