African Collared Dove

African Collared Dove
Streptopelia roseogrisea

AKA: Pink-headed Dove; Rose-grey Turtle Dove

©John Pire
Streptopelia roseogrisea roseogrisea
(nominate race)

©John Pire
Streptopelia roseogrisea arabica

Distribution & Habitat: Northern Africa, south of the Sahara Desert, also in western central & south western Arabia. The ACD is found in arid country; abundantly found near water wells or other sources of water.

Two races recognized: S. r. roseogrisea (Sundevall 1857); S. r. arabica (Neumann 1904). Populations west of Lake Chad sometimes awarded separate race, S. r. bornuensis.

Description: Length 26 cm. Similar in size & proportion to the well known Ringneck Dove (Streptopelia risoria). Coloration of the upper bird is a pale grayish brown with pale blue-grey along the wing edge. This upper body coloration goes from the shoulders to the central tail feathers. The primary & secondary flight feathers are dark, nearly black when new. The head, neck and breast are a mauve-pink shading to white on the chin & belly. Under wing coverts whitish to pale gray - depending on the subspecies. Female is similar to the male, but has less of the pink head, neck & chest coloration.

The race S. r. arabica is said to have a slightly different voice. It is much larger & much darker than the nominate race with pale gray underwing coverts.

Voice: Quite similar to Streptopelia risoria.

Nesting: two white eggs laid about 24 to 40 hours apart; 14 day incubation period. Egg hatch as they are laid. Parents share incubation of eggs and rearing of the young. Young fledge in about 15 days & another two weeks to become independent.

There is a slight dimorphism in the hatchlings for sex. These facets are a reddish hatching hair (see Senegal article) & the amount of hatching hair (see Dwarf Turtle page).

NOTE: This species was imported into the US and bred to the common Ringneck Dove (S. risoria) to obtain the wild type color.

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