Pearl-necked Dove
Pearl-necked DovePearl-necked DovePearl-necked DovePearl-necked Dove

Pearl-necked Dove

Spilopelia chinensis

Silhouette: Jun Mencius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
at Guangzhou

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

1,636 Verified sightings at Guangzhou
39,753 In all 56 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Pearl-necked Dove

The spotted dove or eastern spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in East and Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many parts of the world and feral populations have become established.

This species was formerly included in the genus Streptopelia with other turtle-doves, but studies suggest that they differ from typical members of that genus. This dove is long tailed buff brown with a white-spotted black collar patch on the back and sides of the neck. The tail tips are white and the wing coverts have light buff spots.

There are considerable plumage variations across populations within its wide range. The species is found in light forests and gardens as well as in urban areas. They fly from the ground with an explosive flutter and will sometimes glide down to a perch. It is also called the mountain dove, pearl-necked dove, lace-necked dove, and spotted turtle-dove.

The spotted dove was formally described in 1786 by the Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli and given the binomial name Columba chinensis. Scopoli based... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:25

China · 2026

© Albert Lastukhin · XC1138609 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:08

China · 2024

© 小菜鸟 · XC877988 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:53

India · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC1030898 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Udawalawe National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~90%
2 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~80%
3 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~80%
4 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~80%
5 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~80%
6 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
7 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
8 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
9 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~70%
10 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~70%
11 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
12 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
13 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~70%
14 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
15 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~60%
16 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~60%
17 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
18 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
19 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~50%
20 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
21 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
22 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
23 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
24 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
25 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
26 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
27 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~30%
28 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
29 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~30%
30 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
31 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
32 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
33 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~20%
34 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
35 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
36 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
37 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
38 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
39 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
40 Rottnest Island 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
41 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
42 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
43 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
44 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
45 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
46 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
47 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
48 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
49 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
50 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
51 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
52 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
53 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
54 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
55 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
56 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hajipur 🇮🇳 India
>90%
2 Suzhou 🇨🇳 China
~90%
3 Visakhapatnam 🇮🇳 India
~90%
4 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China
~90%
5 Denpasar 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~90%
6 Tamluk 🇮🇳 India
~90%
7 Kaohsiung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~90%
8 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
~90%
9 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~90%
10 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
~90%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Ostrava Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
3 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
4 Zoo Miami 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
6 Shanghai Wild Animal Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
7 Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
8 Kunming Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
9 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
10 Philadelphia Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
11 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
12 Tamworth Marsupial Park & Adventure Playground 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
13 The Living Planet Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
14 Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 🇨🇳 China In captivity
15 Birds of Eden 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
16 Ipswich Nature Centre 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
17 Hertenkamp De Roedel 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
18 Peacock Garden 🇨🇳 China In captivity
19 Edward Youde Aviary 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
20 Rákosův pavilon 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
21 Velemlokárium 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
22 Ocean Park Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China In captivity

Closest Relatives at Guangzhou

Oriental Turtle Dove
LC

Oriental Turtle Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia orientalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Rock Pigeon
LC

Rock Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columba livia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Asian Emerald Dove
LC

Asian Emerald Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chalcophaps indica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red Turtle Dove
LC

Red Turtle Dove

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Streptopelia tranquebarica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Oriental Magpie-Robin
LC

Oriental Magpie-Robin

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Copsychus saularis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Light-vented Bulbul
LC

Light-vented Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus sinensis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Red-whiskered Bulbul
LC

Red-whiskered Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus jocosus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Swinhoe’s White-eye
LC

Swinhoe’s White-eye

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Zosterops simplex

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
White Wagtail
LC

White Wagtail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Motacilla alba

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Common Tailorbird
LC

Common Tailorbird

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Orthotomus sutorius

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Chinese Blackbird
LC

Chinese Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus mandarinus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Cinereous Tit

Cinereous Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parus cinereus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Pearl-necked Dove in Guangzhou?

Likely

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-necked Dove sighting in Guangzhou on a given day, based on 1,636 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 266 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Pearl-necked Dove in Guangzhou?

February, April–June and September

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-necked Dove in Guangzhou on a given day, against about 50% in July, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Pearl-necked Dove?

Between 3 and 6 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pearl-necked Dove sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Guangzhou the best place to see a Pearl-necked Dove?

61st of 139

Of the 139 cities where we can rate Pearl-necked Dove sightings, Guangzhou ranks 61st at about 60%. The best odds are in Hajipur (India, over 90%), Suzhou (China, about 90%) and Visakhapatnam (India, about 90%).

Which relatives of the Pearl-necked Dove live in Guangzhou?

Same family: Columbidae

The closest relatives of the Pearl-necked Dove that you can see in Guangzhou (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Oriental Turtle Dove (about 10%) and Rock Pigeon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Pearl-necked Dove sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Pearl-necked Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Guangzhou (1,636 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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