Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

Tiny dove whose wing spots flash iridescent green-gold in sunlight. Its call: a long descending coo that fades like a sigh.

Population: Not numerically quantified by BirdLife/IUCN; described as abundant/widespread, with a suspected decreasing trend (1-9% loss over three generations) linked to tree-cover/forest decline across its range
Habitat: Open, dry deciduous woodland and second growth, Acacia savanna, riverine/coastal thickets, farmland, rural gardens and urban areas; absent from evergreen rainforest and true semidesert; recorded from sea level up to roughly 2,000-2,080 m elevation
Fun fact: Its scientific name chalcospilos is Greek for "bronze spot," referring to the iridescent, metallic-green (bronze-flashing) wing patches that give this small African dove its common name.
Range: Resident (non-migratory) across eastern and southern Africa, from the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia) south through Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the DRC to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and eastern South Africa; range less extensive in the west but confirmed (Cornell Birds of the World) to extend to Gabon and Angola; native to roughly 21 African countries/territories with an extent of occurrence of about 12.3 million km² (BirdLife DataZone figure, confirmed exact match)
Diet: Primarily granivorous - forages on the ground for grass seeds and small grains, supplemented with berries and occasional small insects
Size: 0.2 m
Lifespan: 12.3 years

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