Species guide
Cape Turtle Dove: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © copper · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Streptopelia capicola
- Family
- Pigeons and Doves
- Size
- About 25–28 cm
- Habitat
- Woodland, savanna and gardens
- Found in
- Africa
The key marks
A pale grey-brown dove with a thin black half-collar on the neck and a pinkish tinge.
Voice
A rhythmic, repeated “kuk-cooo-kuk”.
Good to know
Its call is often rendered “work harder, work harder”, one of the most familiar sounds in southern Africa.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in woodland, savanna and gardens. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.