Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-spotted Wood Dove
Turtur afer
Blue-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur afer) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur afer) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 65.6 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 afer
Where it lives
Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda, south to Angola, northern South Africa and Mozambique
Quick facts
- Weight
- 65.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-spotted 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 Blue-spotted Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur afer) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda, s to Angola, n South Africa and Mozambique.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 65.6 g, with a wing length of about 10.5 cm and a tail of around 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 10 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-spotted Wood Dove?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 65.6 g.
Where does the Blue-spotted Wood Dove live?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove is found across Africa with a range covering AF Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda, s to Angola, n South Africa and Mozambique, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-spotted Wood Dove belong to?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur afer) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Blue-spotted Wood Dove eat?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Blue-spotted Wood Dove migrate?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-spotted 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 Blue-spotted Wood Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-spotted 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 Blue-spotted Wood Dove's range?
The Blue-spotted Wood Dove has a mapped global range of about 10 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.