Namaqua Dove
Oena capensis
Also known as: Long-Tailed Dove
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
41 g
About This Species
A small, ground-feeding dove of dry savanna, scrub and cultivated land across sub-Saharan Africa, recognisable by the black bars on its wings and its habit of walking rather than hopping while picking seeds from bare or sparsely vegetated ground. It is most active in cooler early morning and late afternoon hours, often near waterholes where it comes to drink.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay several metres back and move slowly, since these doves flush readily from open ground when approached directly.
- Hunting and disturbance regulations vary considerably among African range states, so treat any specific distance as a general guide rather than a fixed rule and avoid crowding birds at waterholes, where repeated disturbance can disrupt drinking access for multiple species.
LCAvesColumbiformesColumbidae
Seasonal Activity
177,072 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 41 g
Photo
(c) Paul Cools, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Cools
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.