Laughing Dove
Spilopelia senegalensis
The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a common doves and pigeon found in 95 countries, weighing about 82 g. The laughing dove is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898.
About the Laughing Dove
The laughing dove is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. It is closely related to the spotted dove which is distinguished by a white and black chequered necklace. Other names include laughing turtle dove, palm dove and Senegal dove while in Asia the name little brown dove is often used.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The laughing dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. It is pinkish brown on the underside with a lilac tinged head and neck. The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to buff on the lower abdomen. A chequered rufous and grey patch is found on the sides of the neck of adults and is made up of split feathers. The upper parts are brownish with a bluish-grey band along the wing. The back is uniform and dull brown in the South Asian population. The African populations S. s. senegalensis and S. s.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Finland, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada, Croatia, Congo - Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, United States, Germany.
When to see it
The Laughing Dove can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Laughing Dove?
- The laughing dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Laughing Dove?
- The Laughing Dove is a medium sized bird weighing about 82 g.
- Where can you see a Laughing Dove?
- The Laughing Dove occurs in 95 countries, including South Africa, India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Namibia.
- What birds look similar to a Laughing Dove?
- The Laughing Dove is most easily confused with the Spotted Dove.
- Is the Laughing Dove endangered?
- The Laughing Dove is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Laughing Dove for real
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