Ring-Necked Dove
Streptopelia capicola
Also known as: Cape Turtle Dove
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
142 g
About This Species
A familiar ground-feeding dove of gardens, savanna, and farmland across southern Africa, usually seen walking steadily as it picks seeds from bare soil or short grass. Its soft, repetitive cooing is heard through most of the day but especially at dawn and dusk, when birds are most active. It is common and easy to see year-round near water and cultivated ground.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Doves feeding on the ground will usually move off calmly if approached too closely, so watch from a distance of at least a few metres and let the bird set the pace rather than walking directly at it.
- Protection of wild birds varies by country across its range, with some jurisdictions permitting regulated hunting of this species, so check local rules before assuming any particular legal status applies.
- Avoid disturbing birds at close-range roosts or nests, which are simple platforms built low in shrubs and vulnerable to disruption.
LCAvesColumbiformesColumbidae
Seasonal Activity
595,623 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
- 142 g
Photo
(c) copper, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by copper
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.