Oriental Turtle Dove
Encyclopedia
The Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, dove
s and pigeons.
n taiga
, and S. o. meena in open woodland in central Asia
. There are also two non-migratory southern races. Two other races have been described from East Asian islands.
. It is a little larger than that species, particularly in the case of orientalis, about the same size as a Collared Dove. It shares the black and white striped patch on the side of its neck, but the breast is less pink, and the orange-brown wing feather
s of Turtle Dove are replaced with a browner hue, and darker centres. The tail is wedge shaped, like the Turtle Dove. The flight is more relaxed and direct than that of its relative.
Southernmost populations are resident, but most other birds migrate
south to winter in Pakistan
and India
, southeast Asia, and southern Japan
.
. A 1986 review by Erik Hirschfeld in Dutch Birding
listed around 30 records, mostly in autumn and winter. Prior to this, it had been suggested that European records referred to escapes from captivity, because of their tameness, the distance from the species' normal breeding range, the suburban habitat of many of the records, and their winter timing; Hirschfeld presented counter-arguments to all these points, and today it is generally accepted that most if not all Rufous Turtle Doves in Europe are wild birds.
In 1994, the British Birds Rarities Committee
reviewed the British records of this species and concluded that three of the eight accepted records should no longer stand. Oriental Turtle Dove has occurred a number of times since, including a well-watched bird in Oxfordshire in February 2011, which was found in a birdwatcher's garden. The house owner used the opportunity to charge a £5 fee to view the bird from his kitchen window and up to 500 people queued to see the bird.
S. o. orientalis occurs as a rarity in western Alaska
and British Columbia
.
s, as for all pigeons and doves, are laid in a twig nest in a tree.
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s and pigeons.
Names
Both the names Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove have been used for this species. It has been suggested that the name Rufous Turtle Dove should be used for the western form meena, and Oriental Turtle Dove for the nominate orientalis.Taxonomy
Oriental Turtle Dove has two distinct migratory northern races, S. o. orientalis in the central SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
, and S. o. meena in open woodland in central Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. There are also two non-migratory southern races. Two other races have been described from East Asian islands.
Morphology
This small species is very similar in plumage to its European counterpart, the Turtle DoveTurtle Dove
The European Turtle Dove , also known as Turtle Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and pigeons.-Distribution & Status:...
. It is a little larger than that species, particularly in the case of orientalis, about the same size as a Collared Dove. It shares the black and white striped patch on the side of its neck, but the breast is less pink, and the orange-brown wing feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s of Turtle Dove are replaced with a browner hue, and darker centres. The tail is wedge shaped, like the Turtle Dove. The flight is more relaxed and direct than that of its relative.
Differences between the forms orientalis and meena
Differences in the pattern of the tail in the forms S. o. orientalis and S. o. meena have been widely reported (orientalis having a grey tip to the tail and more black in the outer web of the outer tail-feathers, meena having a white tip to its tail like Turtle Dove and less black in the outer web of the outer tail-feathers). However, these are not consistent differences: both forms can have white or grey tail-bands, and orientalis can have little black in the outer webs of the outer tail-feathers.Vocalisations
The call is quite different from the purr of the Turtle Dove. It is a four-syllable her-her-oo-oo.Status and distribution
The westernmost race, meena, breeds just into the Western Palearctic region.Southernmost populations are resident, but most other birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
south to winter in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, southeast Asia, and southern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Vagrancy
This species is a rare vagrant to northern and western EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. A 1986 review by Erik Hirschfeld in Dutch Birding
Dutch Birding
Dutch Birding is an ornithological magazine published by the Dutch Birding Association. Its editor is Arnoud van den Berg. It was first published in 1979....
listed around 30 records, mostly in autumn and winter. Prior to this, it had been suggested that European records referred to escapes from captivity, because of their tameness, the distance from the species' normal breeding range, the suburban habitat of many of the records, and their winter timing; Hirschfeld presented counter-arguments to all these points, and today it is generally accepted that most if not all Rufous Turtle Doves in Europe are wild birds.
In 1994, the British Birds Rarities Committee
British Birds Rarities Committee
The British Birds Rarities Committee , established in 1959, is the national bird rarities committee for Britain. It assesses claimed sightings of bird species that are rarely seen in Britain, based on descriptions, photographs and video recordings submitted by observers...
reviewed the British records of this species and concluded that three of the eight accepted records should no longer stand. Oriental Turtle Dove has occurred a number of times since, including a well-watched bird in Oxfordshire in February 2011, which was found in a birdwatcher's garden. The house owner used the opportunity to charge a £5 fee to view the bird from his kitchen window and up to 500 people queued to see the bird.
S. o. orientalis occurs as a rarity in western Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Breeding biology
Two white eggEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s, as for all pigeons and doves, are laid in a twig nest in a tree.