Vinaceous Dove
Streptopelia vinacea
A fairly plain, typical-looking dove that is the default dove in much of the Sahel of northern Africa. The head and breast are pinkish-gray, and the neck has a black mark. The gray bars across the wings and white corners to the tail are conspicuous in flight. Found in a wide variety of savanna, woodland, and cultivated areas, often in small flocks. Very similar to Ring-necked Dove and best distinguished by call, but also has a pinkish rather than pure gray forehead. African Collared-Dove is also similar, but Vinaceous Dove is darker overall, especially on the underwings. The typical call is a fast series of two higher coo notes followed by one lower coo, often given for long periods.
Identification
The vinaceous dove is a small, stocky pigeon, typically 25cm in length. Its back, wings, and tail are pale brown. When flying, it shows a blackish underwing. The head and the underparts are pale pinkish-grey, and it has a black hind-neck patch edged with white. The legs are red, with white in the tail. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults. The call is a fast coo-cu-cu-coo.
Taxonomy
The vinaceous dove was formally described in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other doves and pigeons in the genus Columba and coined the binomial name Columba vinacea. Gmelin based his description on the earlier publications by French ornithologists Mathurin Jacques Brisson and Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The vinaceous dove is now placed with 14 other species in the genus Streptopelia that was introduced in 1855 by French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek στρεπτός (streptós) – literal meaning "twisted", but by extension, "wearing a torc" (i.e., twisted metal collar) – and πέλεια (péleia) meaning "wild dove". The specific vinacea is from Latin vinaceus, meaning "of wine" or "vinaceous". The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Streptopelia vinacea
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Streptopelia
Range and habitat
The vinaceous dove is a common bird that is found in central and western African countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria. <p>This species is abundant in scrub and savannah. It builds a stick nest in a tree, often an acacia, and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings is characteristic of pigeons in general. Vinaceous doves eat grass seeds, grains, and other vegetation. They are quite terrestrial, and usually forage on the ground. Unlike several other species in this genus, they are very gregarious and often feed in large group, frequently with other doves.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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