Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Laughing Dove
Spilopelia senegalensis
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) — Pigeons & Doves of Africa.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 82.1 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 Spilopelia
- Species senegalensis
Where it lives
India and central Asia to southern Arabian Pen. and AF
Quick facts
- Weight
- 82.1 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Laughing Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Laughing Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) belongs to the Columbidae family of the order Columbiformes. It is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL, OR India and c Asia to s Arabian Pen. and AF.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 82.1 g, with a wing length of about 13.2 cm and a tail of around 10.9 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 28.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Laughing Dove?
The Laughing Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 82.1 g.
Where does the Laughing Dove live?
The Laughing Dove is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering AF, PAL, OR India and c Asia to s Arabian Pen. and AF, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Laughing Dove belong to?
The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Laughing Dove eat?
The Laughing Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Laughing Dove migrate?
The Laughing Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Laughing 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 Laughing Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Laughing 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 Laughing Dove's range?
The Laughing Dove has a mapped global range of about 28.9 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.