The Ring-necked Dove also known as the Cape Turtle Dove

Dove

Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...

and the Half-Collared Dove, is a widespread and abundant bird in the bush, savanna

Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...

h, farmlands, and woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. Their name comes from a black patch of feathers on the back of their necks. The rest of their feathers are a pale brownish-grey, with darker colors on their backs. They also have white tips on the end of their tail feathers.

Appearance

Males and females look alike, although the males are slightly bigger. They measure 25–32 cm (9.8–12.6 in) in length and weigh 92–188 g (3.2–6.6 oz).

Habitat

These doves are usually found alone or in pairs, although they do form larger flocks around sources of food and water, sometimes containing hundreds of birds. They are quite noisy in these groups, not only for the variety of calls they make throughout the day (and often into night), but also because their wings clap loudly when the birds take flight. Their usual call is a monotonous and high-pitched crooning sound, “Cooka-loo” which they repeat ten to thirty times. They have a second, cackling call that sounds like laughter. Because of the unusual sound of the birds' call, in the bush it is said that in the morning the call of the dove is saying 'work haaarder, work haaarder', and in the evening, the call is saying 'drink laaager, drink laaager'.

Ring-necked Doves rest in treetops during the night and forage for food on the ground. They drink mainly in the morning. They feed mainly on seed

Seed

A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...

s, but they also eat insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s on occasion, especially flying ant

Ant

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...

s. When they walk on the ground, their heads bob with each small step.

Breeding

These doves breed at all times of the year, making flimsy nests from trees and rootlets in the forks of trees. They usually lay two creamy-white eggs per clutch, which are incubated for 15 days. The males sit on the eggs during the day, and the female at night. The chicks are ready to leave the nest after 14 days, and the adults are ready to breed again a week later. The male will continue to feed the young birds after the next eggs are laid.