136
PLATE 61: PIGEONS AND TURTLE DOVES
Rock Dove Columba livia RB
L: 33. Pale blue-grey pigeon, recalling Stock Dove, with two broad black bands across secondaries
above; rump white or grey (rump grey in most Arabian populations); underwing white with dark band
at rear; black band on outer tail more pronounced than in Stock Dove. Rock Dove is the ancestor of
the familiar Feral Pigeon, which can be blackish, whitish or even reddish; most show black bands on
wing, white underwing and contrasting tail pattern. Gregarious, flight very fast and often aerobatic,
gliding on lifted wings. Voice Cooing kru-oo-u, second syllable stressed and highest in pitch. Habitat
Rocky wadis, sea cliffs, mountains; nests in cave or rock ledge. Feral Pigeon widespread, often in
towns; nests on buildings and cliffs. Note Pure Rock Dove populations still believed to exist in Oman.Stock Dove Columba oenas V
L: 33. Medium-sized and easily told from Common Wood Pigeon by absence of white band on
upperwing, also smaller, more compact and shorter-tailed, with quicker wingbeats. From Rock Dove
by less white underwing with darker flight feathers, pale ashy-grey wing-panel above and lack of
bold black bars across secondaries. Rump grey. Bill pale-tipped (dark in Rock Dove); iris dark. Often
in small flocks. Voice Monotonous muffled, hollow ‘cooing’ with emphasis on first syllable, u u - ru r...
uu-rur... uu-rur; also similar single u r... re r. Habitat Open wooded areas with old trees; nests in hole
in tree, rock or building. In fields on passage and winter. Note Winter hatched, rare in south; vagrant
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE.Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus rb, wv
L: 41. Large stocky pigeon, told by size, bold white band on upperwing in flight (all ages) and white
patches on sides of neck (absent in young). Flight slower and heavier than other pigeons, with tail
proportionately longer. Gregarious outside breeding season. Breeding birds in Oman and SW Iran,
iranica, have white neck-patch, while casiotis (SE Iran) has smaller, buffy neck-patch. Voice Hoarse
cooing, cu-cooh-cu, coo-coo, second note stressed and drawn out. Habitat Juniper woodlands above
2,000m in summer, descending lower in winter. Note Winter range hatched. Localised resident in
mountains of N Oman (iranica), but also a rare winter visitor (possibly casiotis).European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur PM, mb
L: 27. Small, fast-flying dove with shorter tail and more pointed wings than Eurasian Collared
Dove. Told by darker underwing, well-defined whitish belly-patch, rusty-edged, dark-spotted
upperparts with blue-grey outer wing-panel; also contrasting pattern of uppertail with clear-
cut white corners, particularly when tail spread on landing. Sides of neck show black-and-
white-streaked patch in adult, absent in juvenile. From Laughing Dove by build, jerky wingbeats,
scalloped upperparts and tail pattern. The subspecies arenicola, breeding Near East to Iran and
Arabia, is paler, more washed-out grey-brown on mantle, wing-coverts (with less contrasting
dark centres) and breast. Often gregarious. Voice Soft, deep purring roorrrr, roorrrr, roorrrr, often
persistent. Habitat Breeds in wooded country, sand desert with ghaf, oases; fields and livestock
enclosures on passage. Note Passage hatched; rare in winter in S Arabia.Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis pm, wv
L: 33. Resembles European Turtle Dove but larger and heavier with broad-based wings, ill-
defined dark centres to wing-coverts with narrow buff fringes (broader tan fringes in European
Turtle Dove); forehead and crown pale grey, contrasting with browner rest of head; neck-patch
lar ger, streaked blue and black (usually white and black in European Turtle) and bare skin around
eye rounded (larger area bare and lemon-shaped in European Turtle). Note also that Oriental
Turtle Dove has broad buff fringes to primary coverts (narrow fringes in European Turtle Dove).
Subspecies occurring in the region, meena, has whitish belly, undertail-coverts and distal part of
tail. Juvenile lacks neck-patch, is paler brownish on body and wings, otherwise like adult. Flight
heavier, straighter, with less jerky wingbeats than European Turtle Dove. Voice Alternating grating
and clearer cooing notes, gru-gror, co-co, gru-gror, co-co. Migrants invariably silent. Habitat Open
woodland, often near cultivation. Note Passage hatched, but rare; occasional in winter or even
summer; vagrant Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia. [Alt: Rufous Turtle Dove]