Common name: European Turtle Dove

Scientific name: Streptopelia turtur

Family: Columbidae

Size:

Body length: 26–28 cm

Wingspan: 47–53 cm

Weight: 100–170 g

Identification:

A small, slender dove with a long, wedge-shaped tail. The upperparts look scaly, each rufous-orange feather having a dark centre. The head is blue-grey, the breast pinkish and the belly white. Adults have a patch of black-and-white stripes on the side of the neck and a red ring around the eye. In flight, the dark tail shows white corners and a white tip.

Habitat:

Farms, date-palm plantations, irrigated fodder fields, parks and wooded wadis with acacia and ghaf trees. Needs trees for nesting and fresh water within flying distance.

Status in the UAE:

Locally fairly common breeding visitor from April to September, and a scarce migrant. The UAE breeding population is estimated at 1,000–2,000 birds. Very rare in winter.

Diet:

Granivorous — feeds mainly on the seeds of weeds and cultivated plants, picked up from the ground.

Behavior:

Shy, usually seen in pairs or small groups feeding on the ground, flying off fast on flickering wingbeats when disturbed. The male's song is a soft, purring "turrr-turrr", which gives the species its scientific name. Nests in trees and bushes, building a flimsy platform of twigs for two eggs.

Conservation status:

Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)