Zebra dove
Zebra dove | |
---|---|
A zebra dove in Singapore | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Columbiformes |
Family: | Columbidae |
Genus: | Geopelia |
Species: | G. striata
|
Binomial name | |
Geopelia striata (Linnaeus, 1766)
| |
Synonyms | |
Columba striata Linnaeus, 1766 |
The zebra dove (Geopelia striata), also known as the barred ground dove, or barred dove, is a species of bird of the
Taxonomy
In 1743 the English naturalist
The zebra dove is closely related to the peaceful dove of Australia and New Guinea and the barred dove of eastern Indonesia. These two were classified as subspecies of the zebra dove until recently and the names peaceful dove and barred dove were often applied to the whole species.
Description
The birds are small and slender with a long, narrow tail. The upperparts are brownish-grey with black-and-white barring. The underparts are pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. The face is blue-grey with bare blue skin around the eyes. There are white tips to the tail feathers. Juveniles are duller and paler than the adults. They can also have brown feathers. Zebra doves are 20–23 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 24–26 cm.[8]
Their call is a series of soft, staccato cooing notes. In Thailand and Indonesia, the birds are popular as pets because of their calls and cooing competitions are held to find the bird with the best voice. In Indonesia this bird is called perkutut. In the Philippines they are known as batobatong katigbe ("pebbled katigbe") and kurokutok, onomatopoeic to their calls.[8] They are also known as tukmo in Filipino, a name also given to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) and other wild doves. In Malaysia this bird is called merbuk.
Distribution and habitat
The native range of the species extends from Southern Thailand, Tenasserim, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore to the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. It may also be native to Borneo, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, and the Philippine islands.[8]
The zebra dove is popular in captivity and many populations have appeared outside its native range due to birds escaping or being deliberately released. It can now be found in central Thailand, Laos, Borneo, Sulawesi, Hawaii (introduced in 1922), Tahiti (1950), New Caledonia, the Seychelles, the Chagos Archipelago (1960), Mauritius (before 1768), Réunion, and Saint Helena.
It inhabits scrub, farmland, and open country in lowland areas and is commonly seen in parks and gardens. Trapping for the cagebird industry has led to them becoming rare in parts of Indonesia but in most parts of its range it is common. Zebra doves are among the most abundant birds in some places such as Hawaii and the Seychelles.
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding
In its native range the
Feeding
The zebra dove feeds on small
References
- . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ Edwards, George (1743). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. London: Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians. p. 16.
- ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 282.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1937). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 100.
- ^ Swainson, William John (1837). On the Natural History and Classification of Birds. Vol. 2. London: John Taylor. p. 348.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9780198546689.
- ^ Baptista, L.F., Trail, P W.; Horblit, H.M.; Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.zebdov.01
Further reading
- Pratt, H. Douglas; Philip L. Bruner; & Delwyn Berrett (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press.
- Robson, Craig (2002). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.
- Skerrett, Adrian; Ian Bullock; & Tony Disley (2001). Birds of Seychelles. Christopher Helm.