Mourning Collared Dove

Streptopelia decipiens

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernSeedsShrublandPlatform nestMedium · 134 g

ID tip

The Mourning Collared Dove is a medium-sized, stocky pigeon, up to 32 cm in length. It is often black with pale brown wings, which are broad and pointed. The head is grey and the underside is pink, giving a pale grey shading on the belly. There is a black hind neck patch edged with white. The legs and a patch of bare skin around the eye are red. When flying, it shows dark colored flight feathers and extensive white in the tail, the latter being a distinction from the similar but larger red-eyed dove. Voice: The call from the Mourning Collared Dove is a deep, nasally call note that sounds along the lines of kuk-koooo-kuk. This call pattern is flat and considered a hoot.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Mourning Collared Dove

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Mourning Collared Dove

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 32 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Central African Republic.

About the Mourning Collared Dove

The mourning collared dove or African mourning dove is a dove which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. Despite its name, it is not closely related to the North American mourning dove. This species is common or abundant near water. They often mingle peacefully with other doves.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Mourning Collared Dove vs Vinaceous Dove · Dusky Turtle Dove vs Mourning Collared Dove

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