Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland and montane moist forest, heavily degraded former forest, rural gardens, plantations. From sea-level - 3,200 m.
Lemon Dove (Columba larvata) [XC132978]
by Peter Boesman from Bom Successo, Sao Tome, Sao Tome (song)
Lemon Dove (Columba larvata) [XC779482]
by GO-AWAY-BIRDING with Michael Mills from Kiledo Lodge (formerly), Junction Gate, Chipinge, Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe (song)
Subspecies
Birds of southern Cameroon tend to be somewhat darker and have been awarded subspecies plumbescens, but doubtfully valid. Liberian population poorly known, and subspecific assignment disputed. Birds of Bioko and Pagalu have been awarded separate subspecies, poensis and hypoleuca respectively. Birds of mainland western Africa usually placed in subspecies inornata, but with merging of Aplopelia in Columba this name becomes a junior synonym, and must give way to hypoleuca. Should populations of Pagalu again be awarded separate subspecific status, mainland form will once again require renaming.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
hypoleuca (Salvadori, 1903) - Sierra Leone and Liberia; south-eastern Nigeria, north-western Cameroon and Gabon, Bioko (Fernando Póo) and Pagalu (Annobón).
principalis (Hartlaub, 1866) - Príncipe.
bronzina Rüppell, 1837 - Ethiopia and south-eastern Sudan (Boma Hills).
larvata Temminck, 1809 - Southern Sudan through Uganda (absent from Ruwenzori), western Tanzania (Mt Mahari) and Malawi to South Africa.
jacksoni (Sharpe, 1904) - South-western Uganda and eastern Zaire to western Tanzania (Mt Kungwe) and north-western Zambia.
samaliyae (C. M. N. White, 1948) - Angola, southern DR Congo and north-western Zambia.
simplex (Hartlaub, 1849) - Sao Tomé. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Aplopelia simplex.
inornata (Reichenow, 1892) - Sierra Leone to Liberia, south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon; Bioko.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet