Cape Turtle-Dove ( Streptopelia capicola, family: columbidae)
The Cape Turtle-Dove (Latin name Streptopelia capicola) is described in
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 354 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 284 also a picture of the Cape Turtle-Dove on page 273. The Cape
Turtle-Dove belongs to the family of birds classified as columbidae.
According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology the
Cape Turtle-Dove is also known by these other names: Ring-necked Dove.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Cape Turtle-Dove is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger
National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the Cape Turtle-Dove in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Cape Turtle-Dove : see above distribution map.
The Cape Turtle-Dove.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The Cape Turtle-Dove is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the Cape Turtle-Dove is about 28 cms and its weight is about 150 gms
The male and female Cape Turtle-Dove have the same plumage and colours
- Head is blue.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is grey.
- Throat is white.
- Back is brown.
- Legs are purple.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Cape Turtle-Dove feeds on the ground mainly
Fruits
Seeds
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Cape Turtle-Dove is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Streptopelia capicola will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of Cape Turtle-Dove is to create the nest in branches of a tree or shrub. The bird lays eggs which are white in colour and number between 1 to 2
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Cape Turtle-Dove are: woodlands and grasslands and riverine areas
You will not see Cape Turtle-Dove in flocks. The bird prefers to act singly or in pairs.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Ihobe/Untamnyama
Zulu ... iHophe/uSamdokwe
Afrikaans ...Gewone Tortelduif
German ... Kapturteltaube, Gurrtaube, Kaplachtaube
Portuguese ... Rola do Cabo
French ... Tourterelle du Cap
Dutch ... Kaapse Tortel
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 354
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
