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Difference between revisions of "Namaqua Dove" - BirdForum Opus

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;Oena capensis
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[[Image:Namaqua_Dove_male.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male, Subspecies ''capensis''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|AJDH|AJDH}}<br />Damman, [[Saudi Arabia]]]]
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[[Image:Namaqua_Dove_male.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo of male by AJDH<br/>Location: Damman, Saudi Arabia]]
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;[[:Category:Oena|Oena]] capensis
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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The Namaqua Dove is a tiny House Sparrow-sized pigeon, typically 22cm in length with a 28-33cm wingspan, and weighing 40g. It has a very long black tapered tail, and the size and shape have led to comparison with the Budgerigar. The plumage is mostly grey apart from a white belly, and chestnut primary feathers which are visible in flight.
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[[Image:STH 5858.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|volker+sthamer|volker sthamer}}<br />Awash, [[Ethiopia]], February 2017 ]]
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[[Image:Namaqua_Dove_female.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo of female by AJDH<br/>Location: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia]]
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28 cm (11 in)
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The adult male has a black face, throat and breast, and a yellow and red bill.
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*Black forehead, face, throat and front of breast, with narrow greyish-white edging
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*Bluish-grey neck sides, remained of head, breast and wing-[[Topography#General Anatomy|coverts]]
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*White belly
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*Chestnut [[Topography#Wings|primaries]]
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The adult female Namaqua Dove lacks the black and has a red-based grey bill.
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*Long black tapered tail
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*Yellow and red bill<br />
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[[Image:Namaqua_Dove_juv.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo of juvenile by AJDH<br/>Location: Badaan Farm, Bahrain]]
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Female lacks the black and has a red-based grey bill<br />
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Young birds are similar to the female, but have dark blotches on the wings and shoulders.
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Young birds are dark blotched on the wings and shoulders, and otherwise resemble the females.
 
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==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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The Namaqua Dove (''Oena capensis'') is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara Desert and Madagascar. Its range also extends into the Arabian peninsula and southern Israel and Jordan.  
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Sub-saharan [[Africa]] (with Madagascar), [[Socotra]] and the Arabian Peninsula.
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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It is the only species in the genus Oena. There are 2 subspecies: Oena capensis capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) and O.c. aliena (Bangs, 1918).
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It is the only species in the genus Oena.
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====Subspecies====
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[[Image:Namaqua_Dove_juv.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile, Subspecies capensis<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|AJDH|AJDH}}<br />Badaan Farm, [[Bahrain]]]]
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There are 2 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
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*''O. c. capensis'':
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:*[[Africa]] south of the Sahara, Socotra and [[Arabia]]
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*''O. c. aliena'':
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:*[[Madagascar]]
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==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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This species is found in near desert with acacia and bushes, also farms and villages.
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Dry deciduous forest, brushland, scrub, semi desert and desert, savanna. Farm land, palm orchards, open woodland. Reed beds and brackish water.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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It builds a stick nest in a bush, and lays two white eggs, which are incubated by the female for 16 days. Its flight is fast with clipped beats and it tends to stay quite low.
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====Breeding====
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They construct a stick nest in a bush. The clutch consists of 2 white eggs, which are incubated by the female for 16 days.  
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The song is a quiet, short, double ''hoo'', higher on the longer second note ''kuh-whooo'', mournful and frequently repeated.
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====Diet====
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Their diet includes mainly small grass and herb seeds.
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Namaqua Doves are quite terrestrial, and usually forage on open ground and roadsides. The food is almost exclusively minute seeds, such as seeds of grasses, sedges and weeds.
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==Gallery==
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Click on photo for larger image
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They are not very gregarious, and are usually solitary or in pairs, but form larger flocks at waterholes.
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<gallery>
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Image:20120905 080302.jpg|Male, Subspecies aliena<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Dave+Clark|Dave Clark}}<br />Ankarana National Park, Northern [[Madagascar]], September 2012
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Image:Nam2a.jpg|Subspecies ''capensis''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|ammadoux|ammadoux}}<br />Jizan highway, South of Jedddh, [[Saudi Arabia]], March 2018
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</gallery>
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
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#BF Member observations
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#Wikipedia
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{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Oena+capensis}}  
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{{GSearch|"Oena capensis" {{!}} "Namaqua Dove"}}  
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[[Category:Birds]]
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{{GS-checked}}
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<br />
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<br />
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Oena]]

Latest revision as of 22:36, 16 November 2022

Male, Subspecies capensis
Photo © by AJDH
Damman, Saudi Arabia
Oena capensis

Identification

Female
Photo © by volker sthamer
Awash, Ethiopia, February 2017

28 cm (11 in)

  • Black forehead, face, throat and front of breast, with narrow greyish-white edging
  • Bluish-grey neck sides, remained of head, breast and wing-coverts
  • White belly
  • Chestnut primaries
  • Long black tapered tail
  • Yellow and red bill

Female lacks the black and has a red-based grey bill
Young birds are similar to the female, but have dark blotches on the wings and shoulders.

Distribution

Sub-saharan Africa (with Madagascar), Socotra and the Arabian Peninsula.

Taxonomy

It is the only species in the genus Oena.

Subspecies

Juvenile, Subspecies capensis
Photo © by AJDH
Badaan Farm, Bahrain

There are 2 subspecies[1]:

  • O. c. capensis:
  • O. c. aliena:

Habitat

Dry deciduous forest, brushland, scrub, semi desert and desert, savanna. Farm land, palm orchards, open woodland. Reed beds and brackish water.

Behaviour

Breeding

They construct a stick nest in a bush. The clutch consists of 2 white eggs, which are incubated by the female for 16 days.

Diet

Their diet includes mainly small grass and herb seeds.

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

  • Male, Subspecies aliena
    Photo © by Dave Clark
    Ankarana National Park, Northern Madagascar, September 2012

  • Subspecies capensis
    Photo © by ammadoux
    Jizan highway, South of Jedddh, Saudi Arabia, March 2018

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
  3. BF Member observations
  4. Wikipedia

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

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