FeatherScan logo
FeatherScan
Overview
Adamawa turtle dove

Adamawa turtle dove

Wikipedia

The Adamawa turtle dove is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae. It is also known as the pink-bellied turtle dove. The species is closely related to and has been considered the same species as the dusky turtle dove. The species has a disjunct distribution, being native to Cameroon, Nigeria and southwestern Chad and further west in Gambia, Senegal and Mali. It has also been reported defending a territory in Togo, suggesting a population may exist there too.

Loading map...

Distribution

Region

West and Central Africa

Typical Environment

Found in a disjunct range from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali east through Nigeria and Cameroon to southwestern Chad, with records in Togo. It inhabits wooded savanna, dry open forest, gallery forest along rivers, and farm-woodland mosaics. The species frequents edges, clearings, and secondary growth, and will use plantations and village groves. It often occurs near watercourses and in landscapes with scattered tall trees.

Altitude Range

0–1800 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size26–28 cm
Wing Span45–50 cm
Male Weight0.18 kg
Female Weight0.16 kg
Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 2/5

Useful to know

Also called the pink-bellied turtle dove, it has a disjunct West and Central African range and is easily confused with the dusky turtle dove. It favors wooded savannas and gallery forests and can appear around farms and villages. The species was once treated as conspecific with the dusky turtle dove but differs in plumage and range. Its soft, purring coos often reveal its presence before it is seen.

Gallery

Bird photo
Bird photo

Behaviour

Temperament

wary but calm; usually unobtrusive

Flight Pattern

strong and direct with rapid wingbeats and short glides

Social Behavior

Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season, forming small flocks at feeding or watering sites outside it. Builds a flimsy platform nest of twigs placed in trees or tall shrubs. Generally monogamous, with both parents sharing incubation and chick care.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A soft series of purring coos delivered in short, rhythmic phrases. Calls carry at moderate distance from within canopy cover and are often repeated at regular intervals.

Similar Bird Species

Adelaide's warbler
Endemic

Adelaide's warbler

Adelaide's warbler, or reinita mariposera is a bird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico belonging to the genus Setophaga of the family Parulidae.

Adélie penguin
Migratory

Adélie penguin

The Adélie penguin is a species of penguin common along the entire coast of the Antarctic continent, which is the only place where it is found. It is the most widespread penguin species, and, along with the emperor penguin, is the most southerly distributed of all penguins. It is named after Adélie Land, in turn, named for Adèle Dumont d'Urville, who was married to French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, who first discovered this penguin in 1840. Adélie penguins obtain their food by both predation and foraging, with a diet of mainly krill and fish.

Afep pigeon
Resident

Afep pigeon

The afep pigeon, also known as the African woodpigeon or grey woodpigeon, is a member of the family Columbidae, native to the African tropical rainforest from Sierra Leone east to Uganda.

Afghan babbler
Resident

Afghan babbler

The Afghan babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found from southeastern Iraq to south western Pakistan. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the common babbler.

Afghan snowfinch
Endemic

Afghan snowfinch

The Afghan snowfinch or the Afghan ground-sparrow, bar-tailed snowfinch, Meinertzhagen's snowfinch, or Theresa's snowfinch, is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, endemic to the northern parts of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. There are no major threats to the species despite its restricted range, so it is assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is mostly a seed-eater, supplementing its diet with some insects. It builds its nest in the burrows or hollows of ground-dwelling rodents, lined with hair or feathers.

African barred owlet
Resident

African barred owlet

The African barred owlet is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae found in much of southern, central and eastern Africa. The taxon may be four species rather than a single species.