Spotted Dove
Spilopelia chinensis
The Spotted Dove is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to south China and Southeast Asia.
This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white, glossy eggs. In southern Australia, they breed mostly from September to January, and in the north in Autumn. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.
Spotted Dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, 32 cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are pale brown, heavily spotted with buff. In flight, it shows blackish flight feathers bordered on the inner edge with pale grey. Juveniles are duller than adults often lacking the patchy neckband when very immature. The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to pale grey on the face and lower belly. There is a black neck patch finely spotted with white. The legs are red.
Eastern Spotted Dove, Spotted Turtle Dove, Chinese Dove, Mountain Dove, Lace-necked Dove