Streptopelia orientalis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Oriental turtle dove or rufous turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a member of the bird family Columbidae. The species has a wide native distribution range from Central Asia east across Asia to Japan. The populations show variations in the patterning of plumage and have been designated into at least six named subspecies. Populations in the higher latitudes tend to migrate south in winter, while those closer to the tropics are sedentary. Vagrants have been recorded in North America. The species is predominantly granivorous and forages on the ground.
The genus name Streptopelia is from Ancient Greek streptos, "collar" and peleia, "dove". The specific orientalis is Latin for "eastern", in this case referring to the type locality, China. The species has a wide distribution with geographical variation in plumage that has led to at least six subspecies being designated. The distributions of many are not disjunct and gradation exists except in some island populations. Some of the populations of Streptopelia turtur that occur on the eastern edge can be very similar in appearance to S. orientalis and in the past the two species have been lumped together.
western Oriental... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Hemis National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 7 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 9 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Jiuzhaigou National Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 11 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 12 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 15 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 17 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 18 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 19 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 21 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 22 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 23 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 24 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 4 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 147th most-seen of the 375 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove in San Francisco on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of San Francisco's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oriental Turtle Dove sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
54th of 76
Of the 76 cities where we can rate Oriental Turtle Dove sightings, San Francisco ranks 54th at under 5%. The best odds are in Hefei (China, about 90%), Seoul (South Korea, about 80%) and Taipei (Taiwan, about 80%).
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Oriental Turtle Dove that you can see in San Francisco (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Mourning Dove (about 40%), Rock Pigeon (about 30%) and Band-tailed Pigeon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oriental Turtle Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in San Francisco (48 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.
