In this article and the next one following, the subjects will be two similar looking birds both called Turtledoves. These two birds are not originally Australian birds but are ones that have been introduced from overseas.
The Laughing Turtledove is not a bird that is found on this side of our continent. It is only found in the south-west of Western Australia. I was fortunate to come across this pair (pictured) when on a driving holiday in that area some years ago.
From information available, back in the later 18 hundreds, a number of these birds which come from Africa and Asia, were released in the Perth locality.
These birds have now spread wider but still in the same South-West Australian area. They are predominately an urban species though some have extended their range into the countryside. They are also known as the Senegal Dove.
Both male and female are similar in appearance though the female’s colour is not as bright as the males. Like other Doves, they have a cooing call but it has also been likened to having a laughing sound at times.
Being ground-feeders, and living in close proximity to humans, they can find plenty of seeds and other foods to meet their needs.
Although we didn’t go right up close to them, the pictured birds did not seem stressed at all by our presence. This allowed me to take a few photos with which I was pleased.
At the same time as the Laughing Turtledoves were released, another similar looking bird called the Spotted Turtledove was also released in WA.
This bird will be the topic for the next column
