Spotted Dove
Spilopelia chinensis
Also known as: Eastern Spotted Dove, Pearl-Necked Dove, Spotted Turtle-Dove
About This Species
Look for these pigeons in parks, gardens, farmland and urban areas across their range, often walking on open ground or perched on wires and rooftops. The chequered black-and-white patch on the back and sides of the neck is distinctive at close range and helps separate it from other doves. They are present and visible year-round, with soft, cooing calls a common background sound in towns and cultivated areas within their range.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A distance of a few metres is generally sufficient, since this species is habituated to people in many urban settings, though flushing birds repeatedly from a feeding or roosting spot should still be avoided.
- Legal protection for common doves varies considerably by country and region, and in some areas the species is introduced and not protected in the same way as native wildlife, so check local rules before assuming any specific safeguard applies.
- Avoiding deliberate feeding by hand and giving nesting birds space in spring reduces unnecessary stress regardless of local legal status.
LCAvesColumbiformesColumbidae
Seasonal Activity
2,618,438 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
Photo
(c) Caiden B, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Caiden B
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.