Red-eyed Dove

Red-eyed Dove

Streptopelia semitorquata

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

28 Verified sightings at Golden Gate Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026
22,026 In all 53 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red-eyed Dove

The red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) is a dove that is widespread and common in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004. The red-eyed dove was formally described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1835 from birds seen in the Taranta Mountains of Eritrea. He coined the binomial name Columba semitorquata. The specific epithet is combines the Latin semi- meaning "half-" or "small" and torquatus meaning "collared". The species is monotypic, with no subspecies being recognised.

The red-eyed dove's pale bluish grey forehead merges into a darker hue on the crown. The neck, breast, and underparts, are dark mauve-pink to wine-red, upperparts are greyish brown, and primaries are black. Outer wing-coverts are dark slaty blue. Flanks, sides of rump, and underwing-coverts are bluish-grey. Rectrices are dark grey basally, light brownish grey on the terminal half. Neck has a black half-collar. Iris varies from yellowish to orange to red or orange-brown. Orbital skin is purplish red. Bill is black. Legs are purplish red. Most of the feathers have reddish buff or reddish brown edges and indistinct dark... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:20

Senegal · 2026

© Peter Boesman · XC1081418 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:30

Kenya · 2022

© isaac kilusu · XC718347 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Calling very quietly0:40

South Africa · 2019

© Frank Lambert · XC519829 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~60%
2 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~60%
3 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~60%
4 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~50%
5 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
6 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~50%
7 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~50%
8 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~50%
9 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
10 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
11 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
12 De Hoop Nature Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
13 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
14 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~50%
15 West Coast National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
16 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~40%
17 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~40%
18 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
19 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~40%
20 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
21 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
22 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
23 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~40%
24 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~40%
25 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
26 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
27 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
28 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
29 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
30 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
31 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
32 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
33 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
34 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~30%
35 Golden Gate Highlands National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
36 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
37 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~30%
38 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
39 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
40 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~20%
41 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
42 Odzala-Kokoua National Park 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
~20%
43 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~20%
44 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
45 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
46 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
47 Taï National Park 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
~20%
48 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
49 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
50 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
51 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
52 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
53 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serrekunda 🇬🇲 Gambia
~80%
2 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~80%
3 Abidjan 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire
~80%
4 Abuja 🇳🇬 Nigeria
~80%
5 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~80%
6 Harare 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~70%
7 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~70%
8 Cape Town 🇿🇦 South Africa
~70%
9 Yaoundé 🇨🇲 Cameroon
~60%
10 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
~60%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Monkeyland 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
2 World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
3 Birds of Eden 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-eyed Dove in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Dove sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 108 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-eyed Dove in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

January

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Dove in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, against about 10% in August and September, the lowest months. That is one of Golden Gate Highlands National Park's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 15 mm in June. March has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Red-eyed Dove?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-eyed Dove sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where does the Red-eyed Dove sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-eyed Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (28 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.

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