Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos)
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Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Turtur chalcospilos (Wagler, 1827)

20 cmLength61 gWeight

The emerald-spotted wood dove or emerald-spotted dove (Turtur chalcospilos) is a bird of the family Columbidae, resident across eastern and southern Africa.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove has been recorded at 338 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,101 records
  2. Lake Mburo NPUganda943 records
  3. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa740 records
More places
  1. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest NRKenya503 records
  2. Lake Manyara NPTanzania477 records
  3. Nguuni Nature SanctuaryKenya465 records
  4. Tarangire NPTanzania463 records
  5. Samburu NRKenya416 records
  6. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa400 records
  7. Mkhuze GR – Kumasinga HideSouth Africa358 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaSouth AfricaTanzaniaZambiaBotswanaUgandaMozambiqueNamibia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The emerald-spotted wood dove or emerald-spotted dove (Turtur chalcospilos) is a bird of the family Columbidae, resident across eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of open drier deciduous woodland and second growth. It is absent from evergreen rainforests and semidesert areas.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove?

The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is about 20 cm long and weighs around 61 g.

Where does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove as Least Concern.

What does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove in?

It belongs to the family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae), order Columbiformes.

At a glance

Length
20 cm
Weight
61 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
110 mm
Tail
75 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pigeons, Doves Columbidae
Genus
Turtur

Other birds in the genus Turtur

Black-billed Wood DoveBlack-billed Wood DoveTurtur abyssinicusBlue-spotted Wood DoveBlue-spotted Wood DoveTurtur aferTambourine DoveTambourine DoveTurtur tympanistriaBlue-headed Wood DoveBlue-headed Wood DoveTurtur brehmeriRock DoveRock DoveColumba liviaHill PigeonHill PigeonColumba rupestrisSnow PigeonSnow PigeonColumba leuconotaSpeckled PigeonSpeckled PigeonColumba guineaWhite-collared PigeonWhite-collared PigeonColumba albitorquesStock DoveStock DoveColumba oenas
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by lance_robinson. ↗

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