Lemon dove

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Lemon dove
Dove Lemon 2012 02 03 16 32 03 8011.jpg
Giant's Castle Game Reserve, South Africa
Columba larvata, onvolwassene, Eshowe, Birding Weto, a.jpg
Immature at Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Aplopelia
Bonaparte, 1855
Species:
A. larvata
Binomial name
Aplopelia larvata
(Temminck, 1809)
Synonyms
  • Columba larvata

The lemon dove or cinnamon dove (Aplopelia larvata) is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae found in montane forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The lemon dove has a generally brownish-grey plumage with a cinnamon brown breast. Males have a greenish-glossed neck and white markings on the head, and females and juveniles are rather more brown and have grey facial markings. This dove is a common species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Contents

Taxonomy

The lemon dove was previously placed in the genus Columba but it differs from the African pigeons of the genus Columba both genetically and by its terrestrial habits. [2] [3] Some treat the Gulf of Guinea populations (São Tomé lemon-dove) as a separate species A. simplex (or C. simplex), others as subspecies of A. larvata. [4]

Seven subspecies are recognised: [3]

Description

At Birds of Eden aviary Cinnamon Dove RWD.jpg
At Birds of Eden aviary

The lemon dove is fairly small, measuring 24–30 cm (9.4–11.8 in) in length and weighing 81.7–150 g (2.88–5.29 oz). [5] Adult males have a plumage that is dark brown above, glossed green on sides of neck, and cinnamon brown below. As noted, they have conspicuous white face markings. The feet, iris and orbital skin are red, the bill is black. Females and young males are generally similar, with a lighter brown plumage and dull grey facial markings. The males of western African subspecies have a dark grey plumage. [4]

Distribution

The lemon dove has a very wide range and is distributed in montane forests in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging for example from some 100 to 3,000 metres (330 to 9,840 ft) ASL in eastern Africa. The diet consists mainly of various small fruits, seeds, molluscs and insects. The female usually lays two creamy white eggs. [4] [6]

Status

Widespread throughout its range, the population trend of the lemon dove is stable and the bird is evaluated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1] Nonetheless, it seems to be declining in certain parts of its range; in Tanzania for example it is not rare above 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) ASL in the Nguu North Forest Reserve, but not at all common in some lower-lying habitat. It is nearly absent from the southeast of that country. [7] [6] [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International. (2024). "Aplopelia larvata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2024 e.T22690384A264125555. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22690384A264125555.en . Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  2. ↑ Boyd, B.M.; Nguyen, N.-P.; Allen, J.M.; Waterhouse, R.M.; Vo, K.B.; Sweet, A.D.; Clayton, D.H.; Bush, S.E.; Shapiro, M.D.; Johnson, K.P. (2022). "Long-distance dispersal of pigeons and doves generated new ecological opportunities for host-switching and adaptive radiation by their parasites". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 289 (20220042): 1–8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0042 .
  3. 1 2 AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi: 10.2173/avilist.v2025 . Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Sinclair, Hockey & Tarboton 2002.
  5. ↑ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN   978-0-8493-4258-5.
  6. 1 2 Jensen, Tøttrup & Christensen 2005.
  7. ↑ Seddon et al. 1999.

Sources

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