red-eyed dove

The red-eyed dove was formally described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1835 from birds seen in the Taranta Mountains of Eritrea. He coined the binomial name Columba semitorquata.{{ cite book | last=Rüppell | first=Eduard | author-link=Eduard Rüppell | year=1835 | title=Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig | volume=Vögel| language=de | place=Frankfurt am Main | publisher=S. Schmerber | pages=66–67, [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37140249 Plate 23 fig. 2] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37140154 }}{{ cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1937 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=3 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=93 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14477808 }} The specific epithet is combines the Latin semi- meaning "half-" or "small" and torquatus meaning "collared".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=353 }} The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | year=2020 | title=Pigeons | work=IOC World Bird List Version 10.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/pigeons/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=26 March 2020 }}

{{multiple image |direction=vertical |caption_align=center |image1=Streptopelia semitorquata, Moremi, Botswana 3.jpg |caption1=Adult in flight, Botswana |image2=Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) (32346608062), crop.jpg |caption2=Adult in Hlane Royal National Park, Eswatini}}

The red-eyed dove's pale bluish gray forehead merges into a darker hue on the crown. The neck, breast, and underparts, are dark mauve-pink to wine-red, upperparts are grayish brown, and primaries are black. Outer wing-coverts are dark slaty blue. Flanks, sides of rump, and underwing-coverts are bluish gray. Rectrices are dark gray basally, light brownish gray on the terminal half. Neck has a black half-collar. Iris varies from yellowish to orange to red or orange-brown. Orbital skin is purplish red. Bill is black. Legs are purplish red. Most of the feathers have reddish buff or reddish brown edges and indistinct dark subterminal bars. Neck collar is indistinct and restricted to the sides of neck. Legs, orbital skin, and iris are dull. Sexes are alike. Juveniles are duller and browner.

It is typically {{cvt|30|cm}} in length and {{cvt|162–310|g}}. It is the largest of the “ringneck” species of dove. The red-eyed dove in the Ethiopian Highlands are larger than those in West Africa and coastal Kenya.{{cite book |date=2021 |chapter=Red-eyed Dove: (Streptopelia semitorquata) |author1=Baptista, L. F. |author2=Trail, P. W. |author3=Horblit, H. M. |author4=Boesman, P. F. D. |author5=Garcia, E. |doi=10.2173/bow.reedov1.01.1 |title=Birds of the World |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |editor1=Del Hoyo, J. |editor2=Elliott, A. |editor3=Sargatal, J. |editor4=Christie, D. A. |editor5=de Juana, E. |place=Ithaca}}

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It is distributed through most of sub-Saharan Africa, except in desert zones. It is a common, if not abundant, species in most habitats other than deserts. Like several other species in this genus, they are not particularly gregarious and often feed alone or in pairs. They can be found in forests near rivers.

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This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings, which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

{{Reflist}}

• Red-eyed dove - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/352.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].

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red-eyed dove

Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa

red-eyed dove