Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

Other Names

  Emerald-spotted Dove, Green-spotted Wood-Dove   Tourtelette émeraudine, Colombe émeraudine, Tourterelle émeraudine   Bronzeflecktaube   Palomita Aliverde     Smaragdvlekduif   Tortora macchiata di smeraldo

World: Africa, from southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, South through Kenya, s Uganda and Tanzania to Zambia and Zimbabwe. Also from Angola E and S to eastern South Africa.

Kenya: Common in dry brush areas across most of the country except in the wetter SW regions where it is replaced by the Blue-spotted Wood-Dove.

A smallish ground dove of dry country areas. It is easily identified by its iridescent green wing spots. It is generally seen singly or in pairs foraging in the shade (it comes out into the open only when it is overcast). The bird pictured above was photographed in Tsavo West NP and shows dull reddish black-tipped bill typical of the southern race (in the northern race the bill is entirely black).