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Laughing Dove
Spilopelia senegalensis
Silhouette: Jun Mencius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusSpilopelia (Laughing and Spotted Doves)
- SpeciesSpilopelia senegalensis (Laughing Dove)
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
56 Verified sightings at De Hoop Nature Reserve From 2019 to 2026
25,522 In all 62 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Laughing Dove
The laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. It is closely related to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) which is distinguished by a white and black chequered necklace. Other names include laughing turtle dove, palm dove and Senegal dove while in Asia the name little brown dove is often used.
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the laughing dove in his six volume Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Senegal. He used the French name La tourterelle à gorge tachetée du Sénégal and the Latin Tutur gutture maculato senegalensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Laughing Dove in De Hoop Nature Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 5 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Wildlands | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Zoológico Benito Juárez | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Hanover Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Bird Paradise | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 12 | Rainforest Wild Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 13 | Vogelpark Avifauna | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 14 | African Dawn Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Santillana Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 17 | Zoopark Nehvizdy | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 18 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Closest Relatives at De Hoop Nature Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Dove in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove sighting in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 99th most-seen of the 189 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Laughing Dove in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
April–May, July and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in January–March and August–November, the lowest months. June has too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see a Laughing Dove?
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Laughing 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 De Hoop Nature Reserve the best place to see a Laughing Dove?
48th of 62
Of the 62 parks where we can rate Laughing Dove sightings, De Hoop Nature Reserve ranks 48th at about 10%. The best odds are in Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal, about 70%), Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 70%) and Keoladeo National Park (India, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Laughing Dove live in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Laughing Dove that you can see in De Hoop Nature Reserve (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Cape Turtle Dove (about 50%), Red-eyed Dove (about 50%) and Speckled Pigeon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Laughing Dove sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Laughing Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in De Hoop Nature Reserve (56 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
