Wildlifeof Nepal
Western Spotted Dove
Pigeons, Doves & Sandgrouse
Photo: (c) William Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Spilopelia chinensis
Basic stats
Habitat
Light forest, gardens and towns; nests mainly in low vegetation
Range
Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia; introduced elsewhere
Clutch size
2 whitish eggs
Incubation period
About 13 days
The spotted dove is a small, fairly long-tailed pigeon that breeds commonly across the Indian subcontinent and in East and Southeast Asia and has been introduced to many other regions. It is buff-brown with a black collar patch spotted white on the back and sides of the neck, white tail tips and buff spots on the wing coverts. Plumage varies a good deal between populations (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives in light forest, gardens and towns and takes off from the ground with an explosive flutter. It nests mainly in low vegetation, building a flimsy cup of twigs with two whitish eggs. Both parents build the nest, incubate and feed the young, the eggs hatching after about 13 days and the young fledging after a fortnight. It was moved out of Streptopelia after a 2001 molecular study.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Western Spotted Dove live in?
- Light forest, gardens and towns; nests mainly in low vegetation
- Where is the Western Spotted Dove found?
- Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia; introduced elsewhere
- How many eggs does the Western Spotted Dove lay?
- 2 whitish eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Western Spotted Dove incubated?
- About 13 days