Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove was once considered to be the same species as its close relative, the Abyssinian Wood Dove. Their distribution overlapped in some places, but only geographic variations accounted for two subspecies: Turtur chalcospilos volkmanni and Turtur chalcospilos zambesiensis. Nowadays, the two species are clearly separated and each one is monotypic in its own genus. The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is a small chubby pigeon measuring 20cm. The crown is grey-blue. The forehead, lores and parotids are lightly blue-tinged, giving brightness to its head. The chin, throat, chest and flanks are pinkish-mauve. The belly is slightly lighter-colored. The upper parts are gray-beige. The yellowish-white back has two broad brown stripes. Two other, also brown, stripes can be seen on the tail. The rectrices and primary remiges are brown. The secondary remiges are gray-beige with thin white fringes. Two parallel vertical rows of three or four iridescent spots on some of the large and medium coverts stripe the wing and give the bird its name when, under good light, they appear emerald-green with sometimes gold reflections. The legs are purple-pink. The eyes are brown. The beak is black with a dull red base for populations in the south of the distribution area, entirely black in the north of the area; which had previously accounted for the separation of the species into two subspecies. The underside of the wings is chestnut-colored. With no sexual dimorphism, the female may however be duller than the male. The juvenile is duller and its primary remiges have thin fawn fringes.