


Pearl-necked Dove
Spilopelia chinensis
Silhouette: Jun Mencius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusSpilopelia (Laughing and Spotted Doves)
- SpeciesSpilopelia chinensis (Pearl-necked Dove)
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 →
Recent sightings of Pearl-necked Dove in Keoladeo National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Ostrava Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Shanghai Wild Animal Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 7 | Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 8 | Kunming Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Melbourne Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Kuala Lumpur Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Tamworth Marsupial Park & Adventure Playground | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | The Living Planet Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 15 | Birds of Eden | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 16 | Ipswich Nature Centre | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Hertenkamp De Roedel | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 18 | Peacock Garden | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 19 | Edward Youde Aviary | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 20 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 21 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 22 | Ocean Park Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China |
Closest Relatives at Keoladeo National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Pearl-necked Dove in Keoladeo National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-necked Dove sighting in Keoladeo National Park on a given day, based on 332 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 128th most-seen of the 278 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Pearl-necked Dove in Keoladeo National Park?
February, June and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-necked Dove in Keoladeo National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January, March–May and July–October, the lowest months. Those are among Keoladeo National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 240 mm in July.
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 Keoladeo National Park the best place to see a Pearl-necked Dove?
38th of 56
Of the 56 parks where we can rate Pearl-necked Dove sightings, Keoladeo National Park ranks 38th at about 10%. The best odds are in Udawalawe National Park (Sri Lanka, about 90%), Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 80%) and Wilpattu National Park (Sri Lanka, about 80%). All parks ranked.
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 Keoladeo National Park (332 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.

