Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
Turtur chalcospilos
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) — 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 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 60.6 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 chalcospilos
Quick facts
- Weight
- 60.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Emerald-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 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 60.6 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 7.5 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 5.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 60.6 g.
Where does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove live?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is found across Africa with a range covering AF Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove belong to?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove eat?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove migrate?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Emerald-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 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove's range?
The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove has a mapped global range of about 5.9 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.