Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-billed Wood Dove
Turtur abyssinicus
Black-billed Wood Dove (Turtur abyssinicus) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
The Black-billed Wood Dove (Turtur abyssinicus) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 62.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Turtur
- Species abyssinicus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62.7 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-billed Wood Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-billed Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-billed Wood Dove (Turtur abyssinicus) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family, part of the order Columbiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62.7 g, with a wing length of about 10.5 cm and a tail of around 7.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-billed Wood Dove?
The Black-billed Wood Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62.7 g.
Where does the Black-billed Wood Dove live?
The Black-billed Wood Dove is found across Africa with a range covering AF Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-billed Wood Dove belong to?
The Black-billed Wood Dove (Turtur abyssinicus) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Black-billed Wood Dove eat?
The Black-billed Wood Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Black-billed Wood Dove migrate?
The Black-billed Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-billed Wood Dove endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-billed Wood Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Black-billed Wood Dove — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-billed Wood Dove's range?
The Black-billed Wood Dove has a mapped global range of about 3.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Columbidae
A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.