Fun Oriental Turtle Dove Facts For Kids
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The Oriental turtle dove is a bird found in the continents of Europe and Asia. This bird is called the rufous turtle dove because of its primarily rufous-brown coloration.
Other notable physical features include wing-coverts with black centers and chestnut tips that look like wing bars and the black and white bands on either side of the neck.
There are about six subspecies of the Oriental turtle dove that are found in an extensive European and Asian range, including the countries of Russia, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Koreas. Some are vagrants in certain North American territories too.
The rufous turtle dove is found in a range of habitats such as forest edges, cultivated areas, mountains, mixed forests, lowlands, and bamboo forests.
This bird is known to feed alone but is also seen in pairs, in small groups, or large migratory flocks. Oriental turtle doves are listed as a Least Concern species on the IUCN's Red List.
For more relatable content, check out these ovenbird facts and hummingbird facts for kids.
Oriental Turtle Dove Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an Oriental turtle dove?
The Oriental turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a bird.
What class of animal does an Oriental turtle dove belong to?
The Oriental turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) belongs to the Aves class of animals.
How many Oriental turtle doves are there in the world?
The exact number of Oriental turtle doves in the world is not known since their global populations have not been adequately quantified.
Where does an Oriental turtle dove live?
The Oriental turtle dove has six subspecies all of which live in a specific geographic range. The southern bird populations are sedentary and the northern European populations tend to be migratory.
The S. o. meena subspecies breeds in the southern parts of western Siberia to western Altai. This subspecies is also seen southwards in Kazakhstan's Turkestan city as well as in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and the Himalayas in the eastern and central Nepal regions.
This bird also breeds in the western Palearctic region in the Ural mountains. The S. o. meena subspecies also migrate in the winter to the western and southern parts of India and to Sri Lanka.
The nominate S. o. orientalis subspecies is known to breed in central Siberia and eastwards to Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Korea, and Japan. Populations of this bird also breed throughout China and also in Indochina. S. o. orientalis birds migrate in the winter to northwest India and south-eastern Asia.
The S. o. stimpsoni bird lives on the Ryukyu Islands.
The S. o. orii lives in Taiwan.
The S. o. erythrocephala is seen in India, in the central parts, and the northeastern and western ghats.
The S. o. agricola is found in northeastern India, eastwards to Myanmar and southcentral China.
The Oriental turtle dove distribution also stretches as a vagrant to countries like Spain, Egypt, and the British Isles. It is rarely seen in the western Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea, Vancouver Island, and in the western North American range of habitats like Alaska, California, and British Columbia.
What is an Oriental turtle dove's habitat?
Oriental turtle dove birds are found in different habitats like forest edges, wooded farmlands, the subalpine zone, urban areas, cultivated fields, lowlands, mountains, sparse woodlands, scrub, mixed forests, foothills, and bamboo forests. The Oriental turtle dove habitat is found up to elevations of 13,123 ft (4,000 m).
Who do Oriental turtle doves live with?
The Oriental turtle dove is seen alone or in mated pairs in the breeding season. This bird also forms small winter groups and larger flocks are seen during winter migration.
How long does an Oriental turtle dove live?
The exact lifespan of the Oriental turtle dove species is not known but their generation time length is around five years.
How do they reproduce?
The Oriental turtle dove reproduces by mating and laying eggs. The breeding season for the northern birds is May to August and for the Indian habitat birds, the breeding season is November to February. Oriental turtle doves are monogamous.
The nest is built on flimsy platforms on trees or bushes. The nest is made out of twigs and two white eggs are laid. Both the adult parents incubate the eggs for 14-16 days.
The adults feed the newborn chicks with crop milk that is regurgitated straight into the bill. The chicks leave the nest after 14-17 days of hatching. Multiple broods are laid in a single breeding season.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the Oriental turtle dove species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is Least Concern.
Oriental Turtle Dove Fun Facts
What do Oriental turtle doves look like?
The Oriental turtle dove is similar in appearance to the European turtle dove. The hindneck is dark gray and the feathers have rufous-buff edges. The mantle feathers are similar but have dark centers.
The scapulars, wing coverts, and inner secondaries have blacker centers than the European turtle-dove. The inner secondaries and the scapulars have edges that are chestnut. The chestnut fringes on the wing-coverts line up to look like wing bars. The rump is a dark bluish-gray color.
The upper-tail coverts have paler tips and are overall dark gray. The central rectrices of the tail are blackish-gray. The outer rectrices tend to be black and have a slate gray and broad terminal band.
The throat and chin of the Oriental turtle dove are pale buffs. The breast and neck are grayish-white. There is a black and white banded patch on both sides of the neck.
The feathers align to reveal conspicuous and pale blue-gray tips. From the belly to the breast, the color is a dull vinous, shady pale buff. The undertail coverts tend to be pale gray and the coverts on the underwing are slate gray but the flight feathers are blackish.
The forehead is buffy-gray, the crown is blue-gray, and the face has an overall pinkish wash. The bill has a purplish-red base along with gape edges. The tip can be black or gray and there is a brownish horn.
The eyes are colored orange-yellow but may look pale red, orange-red, or even golden. Dark pink orbital skin surrounds the eyes. The feet and legs are reddish-purple and the claws are brown.
The female has an overall duller plumage and has a browner breast and neck. The juvenile is even paler and lacks the dark patch on the neck. The juvenile Oriental turtle-dove wings and breasts have rufous-buff edges.
How cute are they?
Rufous turtle doves are one of the most beautiful birds in nature. They have a subdued but beautiful overall brown-rufous plumage. The most gorgeous feature of these birds is the wing coverts with dark centers and browner or chestnut fringes that form bars.
How do they communicate?
Courtship displays of these birds include clapping of wingbeats, gliding, flying in arcs, tail fanning, and wing-stretching. The bowing display includes head-bobbing, neck-inflating, and a hopping gait.
The Oriental turtle dove call is a cooing and hollow 'HROO-hroo hoo-hoo'. There is also a four-note call that sounds like 'deh-deh co-co'.
How big is an Oriental turtle dove?
The Oriental turtle dove bird is 13-14 in (33-35.6 cm) long.
How fast can an Oriental turtle dove fly?
Being medium-sized birds, Oriental turtle doves fly at speeds close to 25 mph (40 kph).
How much does an Oriental turtle dove weigh?
Oriental dove birds weigh 5.8-9.7 oz (165-274 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
Male and female Oriental turtle dove birds do not have specific names.
What would you call a baby Oriental turtle dove?
A baby Oriental turtle dove is called a chick.
What do they eat?
Oriental turtle doves eat grains, seeds, grass, bamboo, and green shots.
They themselves get preyed on by carrion crows, Asian azure-winged magpies, cats, and snakes.
Are they dangerous?
No, Oriental turtle doves are not dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
No, these free and wild birds would not make good pets.
Did you know...
The 'Twelve Days Of Christmas' song features turtle doves.
European turtle doves like to eat canola, safflower, millet, and sunflower seeds
What is the difference between a dove and a turtle dove?
Turtle doves are doves that have been named for the sound they make, 'tur-tur'. There are 310 distinct species of doves in the Columbidae family. Turtle dove birds also belong to the Columbidae family. Doves are more adaptable to captivity and domestication and turtle doves are shy. Turtle doves are smaller.
Doves are symbols of peace and freedom and turtle doves are symbols of devoted love.
Are Oriental turtle doves endangered?
No, Oriental turtle dove birds are not endangered.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our azure winged magpie surprising facts and vesper sparrow fun facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Oriental turtle dove coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology
Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology
With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies.
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