Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

The Emerald-spotted wood dove, scientifically known as Turtur chalcospilos, is a small and plump pigeon, measuring approximately 20 cm in length. Its plumage is a pale grey-brown across the back, hindneck, wings, and tail, with the wings adorned by distinctive green metallic patches. The lower back and tail feature blackish bands. The head is a bluish-grey, transitioning to a pinkish-grey on the throat, while the underparts are a soft mauve-pink, fading to a paler hue on the belly.

Identification Tips

To identify this species, look for the bluish-emerald wing spots and the blackish bill with a red base. Both sexes appear similar, though females may be slightly less vibrant. Juveniles can be recognized by their duller green spots and buff fringes on their feathers. When in flight, the Emerald-spotted wood dove can be distinguished from the similar Black-billed wood dove by its lack of bright chestnut underwings.

Habitat

The Emerald-spotted wood dove favors open drier deciduous woodland and areas of second growth. It avoids evergreen rainforests and semi-desert regions.

Distribution

This bird is a resident across eastern and southern Africa, where it can be found in suitable habitats.

Behaviour

A solitary bird by nature, the Emerald-spotted wood dove may occasionally gather in flocks at waterholes. It typically forages on the ground, seeking out grass seeds and other small seeds. When it comes to nesting, this species constructs a flimsy stick nest within a tree or shrub and lays two cream-colored eggs. Both parents share the responsibility of incubation, which lasts between 13 to 17 days until hatching, and they continue to feed the squabs for a similar period until fledging. Predation by mongooses and shrikes is common among the young.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of this dove consist of a three-part call: initially, two soft, long coos, followed by a series of slow descending coos lasting about 10 seconds, and concluding with a rapid succession of coos for 4 seconds, which gradually decrease in volume.

Breeding

During the breeding process, both sexes of the Emerald-spotted wood dove incubate the eggs and care for the young. The incubation period ranges from 13 to 17 days, and the fledging period is of a similar length.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Emerald-spotted wood dove primarily consists of grass seeds and other small seeds, which they forage for on the ground.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Emerald-spotted wood dove as Least Concern, indicating that it currently faces no significant threats to its survival.