Fun Tambourine Dove Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Oct 20, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Aug 06, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Gowri Rao
Tambourine dove facts are as interesting as the bird itself
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.6 Min

Doves are a kind of bird with an incredible capacity of finding their way back home even after traveling for hundreds of kilometers.  They are agile and maintain quiet a swift and steady flight. This is the very reason why doves were used for sending messages in the olden days.

Streptopelia semitorquata is a species of dove that has red eyes. Confirming to their name, they are even known as the red-eyed dove, a native to the Sub-Saharan belt.

A dove is mainly recognized for being an emblem of peace and sanity.  According to Greek mythology, it even stands for love and romance.  

A dove is definitely not a scavenger bird, it's food range lies between insects, fruits, and castor oilseeds. Even though tambourine birds can be termed as non-migratory birds, their range has an extension from the east of Senegal to Kenya and Ethiopia and a little towards the east and South Africa.

These pigeons native to South Africa and Eastern Africa lay 1-2 cream-colored eggs in stick nests low. Also known as the Colombe tambourette as well as Tamburintaube and Paloma Tamborilera, the tambourine doves are a kind of pigeons.

If you like reading this article do check out these Inca dove facts and dove facts.

Tambourine Dove Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a tambourine dove?

Tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria, is a kind of pigeon found in the woodlands of South Africa and Ethiopia.

What class of animal does a tambourine dove belong to?

Tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria, which is commonly known as the tambourine doves are a kind of bird. They are mainly pigeons.

How many tambourine doves are there in the world?

Although the exact number of tambourine doves is not known, they are nothing near to getting extinct.

Where does a tambourine dove live?

Turtur tympanistria tambourine is a resilient bird found in the dense boscage of Southern and Eastern Africa, covering Ethiopia, eastern Senegal, and Kenya.  Their natural habitat includes the rich estates of cocoa, rubber, and castor oil. These non-migratory birds live near water resources while feeding on the vegetative floors of the plantations and forests.

What is a tambourine dove's habitat?

This tambourine dove is found in the woods and dense vegetation of Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. They live in their nest in vines and foliages.

Who does the tambourine dove live with?

Tambourine doves, Turtur tympanistria, are birds that are usually recluse by nature. However, they are occasionally spotted in groups or with lemon doves.

How long does a tambourine dove live?

Tambourine doves, Turtur tympanistria, belonging from South Africa and Ethiopia have an average life span of around 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

Tambourine doves, Turtur tympanistria, hailing from Africa, are a kind of pigeon that builds its nest out of twigs and leaves and other vegetative matter. The nest of a tambourine dove is mostly very feeble, built lowly in a thick low-lying tangle.  These birds lay 1-2 cream-colored eggs in the stick nest low which hatches within 13 days. Although both sexes of this species nurture together, the female is responsible for carrying out most of the tasks.  It is a monogamous bird species and thus maintains a lifetime partnership. At times doves and pigeons leave the brooding eggs due to the attack of the pigeon flies. Feather lice, too, compel forest doves to leave their eggs.

What is their conservation status?

Tambourine doves, Turtur tympanistria, is a widespread bird species found in Ethiopia and South Africa which has been categorized as the Least Concern species by IUCN.

Tambourine Dove Fun Facts

What does the tambourine dove look like?

Turtur tympanistria or tambourine dove is a stoutly built small pigeon found in the thick forests of South Africa.  The male tambourine dove's face is predominantly white in color. It has a dark black spot at the back of its eye along with a grey crown and white underparts.  The inner border of its eyelids and its feet are purple-red in color while its bill is purple.  The wings, tail, and hind neck of a male tambourine dove are light brown with dark purple spots on the folded wings.

Females of this species from South Africa are far drabber when compared to males.  The belly is only white in color while the face and breasts are light gray-brown.

The younger birds of this species pretty much look the same as the females, the only difference is that it has chestnut fringes on the back feathers, chest haunches, and underparts. The feathers of tambourine doves are still comparatively duller than the other African doves.

Tambourine dove is a cute bird to have as a pet

How cute are they?

Tambourine doves are small and plumpy, along with a very calm nature. All these make the bird look cute. Their agile flight and flicks while flying add to their cuteness. It hardly becomes aggressive except for the times when they get provoked or somehow foresees a threat.

How do they communicate?

The tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria, belonging from Africa has a slow-paced continuous slur that sounds like "du du du du". This later progresses into a louder rhythmic cry.

How big is a tambourine dove?

Turtur tympanistria, widely known as the tambourine bird, is a small stoutly built dove from Africa.  Its length ranges between 8.7-9 in (22-23 cm) and its average weight is 2.54 oz (72 g).  Its height range is from 0.7 ft (23 cm).

How fast can a tambourine dove fly?

Its flight feathers and wings are agile and it's has got a quick flight.  They usually fly low and while flying the chestnut markings and patches present under their wings can be noticeable.

How much does a tambourine dove weigh?

A tambourine dove weighs 2.54 oz (72 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female tambourine doves have not been assigned any specific names. They are commonly termed tambourine dove.

What would you call a baby tambourine dove?

The babies of this pigeon species called tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria, are not given any other particular name.  They can be called juvenile tambourine doves.

What do they eat?

Tambourine doves, Turutur tympanistria, belonging from the South African and Ethiopian region are omnivorous birds that consume certain insects, plant seeds, fruits,and mollusks.  It even has a liking towards the seeds of castor oil plants and tends to gather food from the forest floor. These birds along with their flock of the family can also be seen near water bodies consuming food in groups.

Are they dangerous?

Although birds falling under the Columbidae subspecies are recognized as an emblem of peace, they can get a little aggressive while safeguarding their food or when they face a threat. These doves from South Africa cannot be blatantly termed as dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

Pigeons and doves serve as great pets. They are usually soft and tender when handled with care and can actually make a good pet. The tambourine dove or the rola de Papo Branco from the South of Africa will only get hostile if they feel provoked. Some other doves are common ground dove, ringneck dove, and the diamond dove.

Did you know...

Tambourine doves are also called white-breasted wood doves or white-breasted pigeons and Colombe tambourette.

The babies are fed regurgitated food by the female tambourine doves.

They previously belonged to the genus tympanistria even though they had similarities with the genus turtur.

Rola de papo branco is the native name of the tambourine dove.

The SA bird atlas project was undertaken in the year 1987 and 1991, and it mentions the distribution of the rola de Papo Branco ( i. e. the tambourine doves)

The German people call the tambourine dove the Tamburintaube. The Spaniards call them by the sweet name of Paloma Tamborilera.

What is the dove bird known for?

A dove bird is known for its swift flight, which is the reason why they were used to send messages in ancient times. A dove also serves as a symbol of peace and calmness since time immemorial.  The flesh of this bird is also used as food because of its stealthy breast muscles. A tambourine dove is known as Tamburintaube in the German language.

Do doves have red eyes?

Streptopelia semitorquata is also known as the red-eyed native to the Sub-Saharan region has red eyes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these stock dove facts and dove facts pages.  

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable tambourine dove coloring pages.

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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