Oriental Turtle Dove

Oriental Turtle Dove

Streptopelia orientalis

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Xi'an

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

43 Verified sightings at Xi'an
5,015 In all 24 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Oriental Turtle Dove

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 →

Sounds

Song0:47

Japan · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1141363 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:09

China · 2023

© 小菜鸟 · XC844595 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:44

China · 2021

© Bo Shunqi · XC720531 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~40%
2 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~40%
3 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
4 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
5 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
6 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~20%
7 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
8 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~20%
9 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
10 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
~20%
11 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
12 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
13 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
14 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
15 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
16 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
17 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
18 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
19 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
20 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
22 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
23 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
24 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hefei 🇨🇳 China
~90%
2 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~80%
3 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~80%
4 Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan
~80%
5 Changsha 🇨🇳 China
~80%
6 Nanjing 🇨🇳 China
~80%
7 Daejeon 🇰🇷 South Korea
~70%
8 Gwangju 🇰🇷 South Korea
~70%
9 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
~70%
10 Shijiazhuang 🇨🇳 China
~70%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Tierpark Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
2 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
3 Taipei Zoo 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
4 Ueno Zoo 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Oriental Turtle Dove in Xi'an?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove sighting in Xi'an on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 49 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 an Oriental Turtle Dove in Xi'an?

April and November

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove in Xi'an on a given day, against about 40% in March, May, September and December–January, the lowest months. Those are among Xi'an's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in September. February and August have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see an Oriental Turtle Dove?

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.

Is Xi'an the best place to see an Oriental Turtle Dove?

18th of 76

Of the 76 cities where we can rate Oriental Turtle Dove sightings, Xi'an ranks 18th at about 50%. The best odds are in Hefei (China, about 90%), Seoul (South Korea, about 80%) and Taipei (Taiwan, about 80%).

Which relatives of the Oriental Turtle Dove live in Xi'an?

Same family: Columbidae

The closest relatives of the Oriental Turtle Dove that you can see in Xi'an (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Pearl-necked Dove (about 80%) and Rock Pigeon (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Oriental Turtle Dove sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Oriental Turtle Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Xi'an (43 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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