Photo: stinkenroboter / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dusky Turtle Dove
Streptopelia lugens
Dusky Turtle Dove (Streptopelia lugens) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Dusky Turtle Dove (Streptopelia lugens) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 155 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 Streptopelia
- Species lugens
Where it lives
South Sudan and Ethiopia to Malawi; Saudi Arabia and Yemen
Quick facts
- Weight
- 155 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dusky Turtle Dove is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Dusky Turtle Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dusky Turtle Dove (Streptopelia lugens) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family, part of the order Columbiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL South Sudan and Ethiopia to Malawi; Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 155 g, with a wing length of about 17.3 cm and a tail of around 11.5 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 946,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dusky Turtle Dove?
The Dusky Turtle Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 155 g.
Where does the Dusky Turtle Dove live?
The Dusky Turtle Dove is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL South Sudan and Ethiopia to Malawi; Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Dusky Turtle Dove belong to?
The Dusky Turtle Dove (Streptopelia lugens) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Dusky Turtle Dove eat?
The Dusky Turtle Dove is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Dusky Turtle Dove migrate?
The Dusky Turtle Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dusky Turtle 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 Dusky Turtle Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Dusky Turtle 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 Dusky Turtle Dove's range?
The Dusky Turtle Dove has a mapped global range of about 946,000 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.