Namaqua dove  (Oena capensis)

The Namaqua dove is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

The male Namaqua dove (Oena capensis) is a striking bird, with a black face and throat accompanied by a vibrant red and yellow bill. The female Namaqua dove lacks the bright bill and the black ‘mask’ of the male, but both sexes have an impressively long, mostly black tail. The rest of the Namaqua dove’s plumage consists of blue-grey on the head progressing subtly into pale brown on the back. Juvenile Namaqua doves are a fawn colour with many black speckles (2).

While not a very vocal bird, the Namaqua dove does make quiet cooing sounds as well as a series of short notes descending in pitch (3).

The Namaqua dove is the only species in the genus Oena, but it is very similar to doves in the genus Turtur, which have similar colour patterns on the wings and bill, and similar speckled plumage on the juvenile. However, the Namaqua dove can be distinguished from these similar species by its long tail and the marked differences in plumage between the sexes (3).

The Namaqua dove is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa (2), as well as throughout the Arabian Peninsula (4). A subspecies, Oena capensis aliena, occurs in Madagascar (2).

This species is found in dry, open areas where there is some cover from bushes, such as savannah, grassland and agricultural land. In grassy areas it prefers places where the grass is shorter due to grazing or trampling by large mammals (3) (4). The Namaqua dove is typically found no higher than 1,600 metres above sea level (2).

The Namaqua dove’s diet consists primarily of small grass seeds, though it will occasionally also eat invertebrates. It occurs mainly singly or in pairs, although large flocks of several hundred Namaqua doves may form around water or abundant food sources (2). While some Namaqua dove populations remain in the same area all year round, some are nomadic, moving from place to place, and others migrate seasonally (2). These seasonal migrations seem to be related to rainfall (3).

Nest construction by the Namaqua dove usually begins in March in Arabia, although in parts of Africa, breeding can occur at any time of the year. The nest consists of a small platform of meshed twigs lined with grass, usually situated in a low bush. Usually two, pale yellow eggs are laid by May and are incubated by both parents for about two weeks. The young chicks fledge at around 16 days of age (2) (4). 

There are no known major threats to the Namaqua dove at present.

There are currently no known conservation measures in place for the Namaqua dove, which has a large range and a stable, or even increasing, population (5).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

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Learn more about the Namaqua dove:

• BirdLife International – Namaqua dove:
  http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=2533