Sunday 31 July 2016

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata)

OTHER NAMES: Peaceful Dove*
Latin Etymology: Geopelia ("ground dove") striata ("striated")
Adult Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) at KL City Centre Park - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 57g  /  Length: 20-23cm  /  Wingspan: 24-26cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

By the standards of the Pigeons and Doves we have in Britain, the Zeba Dove is a really tiny species - less than half the weight of a collared dove, and only a little larger than a sparrow.  In Kuala Lumpur they were abundant - usually in pairs, and were found in just about any location where there were trees, regardless of how busy the location - I saw them in train stations, busy tourist attractions and very artificial parks.  They are also one of the most tame species in the country, coming close to people in locations where there is a chance of food.  

Related Species:
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Geopelia
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -
MALAYSIA - Malay Merbuk
Abundant resident.
 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Abundant in Kuala Lumpur 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, BirdGuides, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

* This name was in use officially, but the species was split 3 ways - the Zebra Dove keeping that name, the Barred Dove (Geopelei maugei) and the Peaceful Dove became the name of Geopelia placida - the Australian and New Guinea equivalent - however, "Peaceful Dove" is still used to refer to the Zebra Dove a lot in material I have seen.

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