Other Scientific Names
Streptopelia senegalensis [Christidis and Boles (2008)], Streptopelia senegalensis [AERC TAC (2003)], Streptopelia senegalensis [BirdLife International (2004)], Streptopelia senegalensis [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Streptopelia senegalensis [Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993)], Streptopelia senegalensis [Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994)]
Other Names (World)
Laughing Dove, Senegal Turtle-Dove, Senegal Dove, Palm Dove, Egyptian Turtle-dove, Little Brown Dove, Indian Little Brown Dove, Town Dove, Village Dove, Garden Dove
Habitat
Railways, streets, parks and gardens in cities and towns. Also in agricultural areas, around farm houses, and lighted wooded areas near settlements.
Food
Grains, bread scraps, seeds from garden plants and roadside weeds, and sometimes, animals, usually feeding on the ground.
Voice
A laughing, undulating or bubbling, mellow sequence like 'did-you-see-a-cuckoo', the last word loudest and clearest. Also, 'quook-kuk-a-kuk-kukooo'.
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia) [XC890165]
by David Tattersley from hassilabied gardens, Errachidia Province, Dr\u00e2a-Tafilalet, Morocco (song)
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) [XC409712]
by Alan Collett from Siyana, Jalore, Rajasthan, India (song)
Nest
A crude, open structure, composed of small sticks, in a tree or shrub.
Eggs (Guide)
2; white; oval; about 29 x 23 mm. Incubation: 14 - 16 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 21 days.
Subspecies
Differs distinctly in plumage and vocalizations from all congeners. Possibly related to Eastern Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis). Birds of Sío Tomé and Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea) sometimes awarded separate subspecies thome, but validity very doubtful, particularly as species may be introduced here.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - Southern and central Africa, north to Mauritania, Algeria, Chad, and southern Egypt, and also western Arabia, Jordan and Israel.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9