Pigeons & Doves of South Africa
15 pigeons and doves recorded in South Africa on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
15 pigeons and doves have been recorded in South Africa on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Columbidae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
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Pigeons & Doves of South Africa to know first
African Green PigeonTreron calvus
African Olive PigeonColumba arquatrix
Blue-spotted Wood DoveTurtur afer
Eastern Bronze-naped PigeonColumba delegorguei
Emerald-spotted Wood DoveTurtur chalcospilos
European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turtur
Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
Lemon DoveAplopelia larvata
Mourning Collared DoveStreptopelia decipiens
Namaqua DoveOena capensis
Red-eyed DoveStreptopelia semitorquata
Ring-necked DoveStreptopelia capicola
Rock DoveColumba livia
Speckled PigeonColumba guinea
Tambourine DoveTurtur tympanistria
Keep exploring
- Birds of South Africa
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of South Africa (51 species)
- Old World Flycatchers & Chats of South Africa (42 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of South Africa (37 species)
- Petrels & Shearwaters of South Africa (35 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of South Africa (33 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of South Africa (33 species)
- Cisticolas & Allies of South Africa (32 species)
- Larks of South Africa (27 species)
- Weavers of South Africa (25 species)
- Wagtails & Pipits of South Africa (24 species)
- Waxbills & Munias of South Africa (23 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of South Africa (21 species)
- Plovers of South Africa (20 species)
- Swallows & Martins of South Africa (19 species)
- Cuckoos of South Africa (18 species)
Pigeons & Doves in other regions
- Pigeons & Doves of Indonesia (109 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Colombia (39 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Australia (35 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of India (35 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of the Philippines (34 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Peru (31 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Thailand (30 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Ecuador (29 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Malaysia (28 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of the United States (28 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Argentina (27 species)
- Pigeons & Doves of Costa Rica (27 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many pigeons and doves are found in South Africa?
15 pigeons and doves that we profile appear on South Africa's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these pigeons and doves really found there?
Yes — each one is on South Africa's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these pigeons and doves belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see pigeons and doves in South Africa right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.