TURTLEDOVE

also spelled Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), European and North African bird of the pigeon family, Columbidae (order Columbiformes), that is the type species, or namesake, of its genus. The turtledove is 28 cm (11 inches) long. Its body is reddish brown, the head blue-gray, and the tail is marked with a white tip. It is a ground feeder that eats prodigious amounts of small seeds. Streptopelia turtur is migratory and winters in northern Africa. The name turtledove is commonly applied to the other Streptopelia species, including other turtledoves, collared doves, and ring-necked doves. These slim-bodied, fast-flying gamebirds are found throughout the temperate and tropical Old World. The ringed turtledove, or ringdove (S. risorea), has feral New World populations in California and Florida. The laughing dove (S. senegalensis) and spotted dove (S. chinensis) have also been introduced outside their native habitats.