Appearance

Appearance

About 13 in (33 cm) long, somewhere between an American Robin and a crow in size. Pale brownish-gray head and underparts, a back with bold rusty 'scales,' and a black-and-white striped neck patch.

Voice

Gives a soft, four-part cooing song that varies from region to region.

Look-alikes

Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto

Look for the single black half-collar and mostly plain upperwings on a Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). An Oriental Turtle-Dove has several striped lines on the neck and scaly-looking upperwings.

Mourning DoveZenaida macroura

A Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) has scattered black wing spots and a long, pointed tail. An Oriental Turtle-Dove has a striped neck patch and a scaly pattern across the upperwings.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• Open woodlands
• Forest edges
• Farm fields
• Towns and parks

Range

This dove lives across much of Asia, from Central Asia to Japan. In the U.S., it has appeared as a rare visitor in western Alaska.

Seasonal presence

Northern populations migrate south for the winter, some as far as India; birds in warmer regions stay put year-round.

Preferred conditions

Likes well-wooded but open country when nesting, and more open land with scattered trees in winter.

Behavior

Diet

In its Asian range, it picks up seeds from the ground and sometimes eats snails or slugs.

Life cycle

Nest

Builds a platform of twigs in a tree, often partway up the canopy.

Clutch size

2 white eggs

Incubation

Both parents incubate for 15–16 days. Like all pigeons and doves, parents feed their young crop milk.

Fledging

In Japan, chicks typically leave the nest about 15–17 days after hatching.

Name and classification

About the name

Six subspecies are recognized. The strays that reach Alaska and British Columbia belong to the eastern subspecies, orientalis, which breeds from central Siberia to Korea and Japan. Other subspecies live in Taiwan (orii), the Ryukyu Islands (stimpsoni), and from Central Asia to the Himalayas (meena).

Conservation

IUCN Red List

LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction

Status

In the U.S., it is covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act even though it is only a rare visitor.