About Streptopelia roseogrisea (Sundevall, 1857)
The African collared dove, with the scientific name Streptopelia roseogrisea, is a small dove native to the Sahel, northern areas of the Horn of Africa, and southwestern Arabia. Though it inhabits arid regions, it occurs primarily around water sources. Adults of this species typically measure around 26 cm (10 inches) in length, and weigh between 130 and 166 grams. Its upper body, running from the shoulders to the tail, is pale greyish brown, with a bluish tinge along the edge of the wing. The flight feathers are darker, and are almost black. The head, neck, and breast are pinkish, fading to white on the chin and belly. This species shows no sexual dimorphism. Two subspecies are currently accepted, though their genetic difference is minimal, and the species may be more appropriately classified as monotypic. The nominate subspecies is Streptopelia roseogrisea roseogrisea, which ranges across the Sahel region of Africa just south of the Sahara Desert, eastward to north-central Sudan. The second subspecies is Streptopelia roseogrisea arabica, first described by Neumann in 1904; it occurs from northeast Sudan to Eritrea and Somalia, as well as in southwestern Arabia, and is slightly darker than the nominate subspecies. The African collared dove is the wild ancestor of the domestic Barbary dove. While some past sources suggested the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) may also have contributed to the domestic Barbary dove lineage, only minimal evidence exists to support this claim. African collared doves can interbreed with Barbary doves, and it is thought that the expanded range of color varieties available in Barbary doves in the later 20th century resulted from the importation of African collared doves into the United States for interbreeding. The diet of the African collared dove consists of grass seeds and other plant material, and it also feeds on berries, insects, and snails.
