Dusky Turtle Dove

Overview

The dusky turtle dove, also known as the pink-breasted turtle dove, is a monotypic species of bird belonging to the family Columbidae. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, it is found primarily in East Africa with a disjunct population in South Arabia.

Identification

• Very dark or slaty-grey plumage, generally 28–30 cm long, with males slightly heavier than females.
• Grey face slightly paler than the body, conspicuous black patches on the sides of the neck, and wing coverts with pale brown or rufous edges.
• Orange or orange-yellow eye with a purplish eye-ring, a purplish slate-grey bill, and red legs.
• Juvenile birds appear paler and browner than adults.

Habitat

Inhabits the Afrotropical Highlands biome between 1,800 and 3,200 metres altitude in East African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, plus Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia. It prefers woodland containing African juniper, hagenia, and bamboo, but also utilises exotic tree plantations and cultivated land.

Diet

The diet consists of seeds, insects, and molluscs, which are foraged from the ground. The bird is diurnal, usually solitary or in small groups, but gathers in flocks of up to 100 outside the breeding season.

Did you know?

Although generally sedentary, some evidence of vagrancy exists, with birds in Ethiopia recorded as low as 200 m altitude during the rainy season, far below its typical high-altitude range.