IDENTITY:

The laughing dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. It is pinkish brown on the underside with a lilac tinged head and neck. The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to buff on the lower abdomen.
The Laughing Dove has peculiar feature, making it different from other Columbidae species. This dove has the feathers used in displays on the foreneck, instead of the nape or the hindneck.
This dove has pinkish head. A broad band of black feathers with cinnamon tips crosses the foreneck and the upper breast. Mantle, scapulars and inner coverts are reddish-brown to orange-brown. Outer coverts, back and rump vary from blue-grey to pale grey.
On the upperparts, the male adult has mauve-pink head and hindneck. Back and most part of wing coverts are reddish to red-brown. Rump and uppertail-coverts are blue-grey.
The throat is mauve-pink, with paler chin. We can see a broad band of golden copper feathers with black base on foreneck and neck sides.
On the underparts, the breast in mauve-pink and the belly is creamy-white. Undertail-coverts are white.
On the upperwing, the inner coverts are reddish to red-brown, as the back. The outer coverts are blue-grey. The primary and secondary flight feathers are brown to blackish-grey. The uppertail shows grey-brown central rectrices, whereas the outer ones are grey and white-tipped.
The bill is dark grey-brown. The eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are purple-pink.
The female is similar in plumage but duller than male.
The juvenile is paler and lacks the neck pattern.

HABIT AND HABITAT:

The Laughing Dove frequents dry areas, wooded savannahs, thickets of acacias at some kilometres from water. This species nests in bushes or trees. It is resident in urban areas, large towns and villages.

FOOD:

Laughing doves eat the fallen seeds, mainly of grasses, other vegetable matter and small ground insects such as termites and beetles.

VOICE:

A soft coo-rooroo OR cru-do-do-do-do.

INFO:

The laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. A rufous and black chequered necklace gives it a distinctive pattern and is also easily distinguished from other doves by its call. Other names include laughing turtle dove, palm dove and Senegal dove while in India the name of the little brown dove is often used. It was introduced in Western Australia and has established itself in the wild around Perth and Fremantle.