Streptopelia senegalensis (Laughing Dove)

Scientific name: Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766)

Bird group: Pigeons and Doves

Field characters. 26 cm. Smaller than Turtle Dove. Head, chest and upper belly deep pink, gorget on upper breast rufous with black speckles, back brown, wings blue-grey with dark flight feathers, tail dark with white sides. Flight fast but fluttering, with very dark, almost black underwing. Song can go on for hours, usually from conspicuous song post.

Voice. Song a low, monotonous 'hoo hoo hoo'.

Distribution. Scarce resident. In region covered only in West Turkey, where introduced.

Habitat. Towns and villages with dense bushes.

Food. Mainly seeds, some invertebrates.

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