Laughing Dove

Description:

The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East east to the Indian Subcontinent. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. A rufous and black chequered necklace gives it a distinctive pattern and is also easily distinguished from other doves by its call. Other names include Palm Dove and Senegal Dove while in India the name of the Little Brown Dove is often used. It was introduced in Western Australia and has established itself in the wild around Perth and Fremantle.

Habitat:

It is a common and widespread species in scrub, dry farmland and habitation over a good deal of its range, often becoming very tame. The species is found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. They are mostly sedentary but some populations may make movements. Birds ringed in Gujarat have been recovered 200 km north in Pakistan and exhausted birds have been recorded landing on ships in the Arabian Sea.[6][3] The species (thought to belong to the nominate population) was introduced to Perth in 1889 and has become established around Western Australia.[7] Birds that land on ships may be introduced to new regions.[8]