Laughing Dove

Streptopelia senegalensis

Laughing Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis, photo © by Michael Plagens.

Lake Baringo National Park, Kenya. October 2010.

Laughing Dove, so called because of the bird's calling sound, is found throughout Kenya in arid and semi-arid regions. It forages for food on the ground picking grass and other seeds. The best characters for identification are the black speckles in a rusty orange band across the upper chest and the bluish wings against a tawny-pink ground color.

Columbidae -- Pigeon Family

Books:

  • Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
  • Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe

More Information:


Kenya Natural History

Copyright Michael J. Plagens, page created 25 February 2011,
updated 29 Sept. 2016.