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Newsletter / Blog 2011-08-07 Aves Bird of the week - Namaqua Dove - Oena capensis. The Namaqua Dove - Oena capensis - This small beautiful dove is about the size of a great sparrow. It has a long black
tapered tail. The adult male has a black face, throat and breast, a yellow and
red bill, with pale underparts. The adult female lacks the black and has a
red-based grey bill. Young birds are dark blotched on the throat, shoulders and
wings and resemble the females.
They occur across
sub-Saharan Africa, absent only from the lowland forests of West Africa and Central Africa. In southern Africa
it is widespread and common. It occupy’s a wide variety of habitats, seeming to
prefer the more arid habitats such as acacia savanna and arid shrub lands.
These doves are
not gregarious, being encountered singly or in pairs, though they may form
larger flocks at waterholes. Perches on exposed branches and bushtops. The call
is a rather mournful “kuh-whooo”.
The flight is fast with clipped beats.
This small dove
is quite terrestrial, and normally forages on open ground, especially on gravel
or on roadsides. They feed
almost exclusively small seeds, of grasses, sedges and weeds.
The breeding
season is year-round, peaking between July and December. Both sexes build a
fragile stick nest in a small tree/bush, One
to two white eggs are laid, which are incubated by both female and male for
between 13 and 16 days. The young leave the nest after 15 to 18 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
These beautiful
small doves can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures:
-
Aves Arid Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari /
Adventures.
Aves KZN Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves North East
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves North West Birding Tour
/ Safari / Adventures.
Aves Western Cape Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves West Coast
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
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