Zebra Dove

Geopelia striata

Family: Doves and Pigeons · Status: Very common resident · Size: 21–21.5 cm · Conservation: Least Concern

Range

Native to southern Myanmar and the Thai-Malay Peninsula, and to Sumatra and Java. Introduced populations now established in Thailand, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Seychelles, Hawaii, and elsewhere.

Identification

Adult has pale grey forehead, face, and throat, with light blue orbital skin extending to the bill, brownish-grey upperparts with dark bars spaced far apart, beige underparts with dense black-and-white barring on hindneck, sides of neck, and flanks, with unbarred sections of underparts down the middle vinous-pink. Juvenile is browner and duller, has white stripes above and below the eye, lacks the pinkish wash to the underparts, barring can extend to crown and across the breast.

Habitat

Open habitats including grasslands, reclaimed land, gardens, and urban parks; favours areas with bare ground.

Behaviour

Feeds on small seeds and occasionally insects on bare ground and in short grass; forages in pairs or small groups.