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Blue-spotted Wood-Dove | Turtur afer

The Blue-spotted Wood-Dove is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Columbidae bird family group which includes birds such as Pigeons, Doves.

The description for the Blue-spotted Wood-Dove (Latin name Turtur afer) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Turtur afer can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 357 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 288. You will find a picture of the Blue-spotted Wood-Dove on page 273.

NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any.

This bird is known as Blue-spotted Dove in the Roberts 6th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Blue-spotted Wood-Dove between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition

The Blue-spotted Wood-Dove has a height of 22 cms and weighs around 65 gms. The head is coloured grey while the bill is coloured red. The Turtur afer has a grey coloured throat, red legs and a brown coloured back. The eyes are brown.

Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts.

Head is grey

Eyes are brown

Bill is red

Legs are red

Throat is grey

Back is brown

Feeding Habits ...

This bird forages for food on the ground

This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten .

The Turtur afer forages mainly on the ground or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds.

Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...

The Blue-spotted Wood-Dove is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 eggs and they are coloured cream.

The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae.

This bird is very common in most of the Southern African Forests

Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...

The Blue-spotted Wood-Dove is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild.

The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition * edited by PAR Hockey, WRJ Dean and PG Ryan, published by "The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund."