Laughing Dove

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Possible. About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 493 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 84th most-seen of the 398 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.

Q: When is the best time to see a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

April. In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in January, March, May and July–August, the lowest months. That is one of Masai Mara National Reserve's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.

Q: 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.

Q: Is Masai Mara National Reserve the best place to see a Laughing Dove?

44th of 62. Of the 62 parks where we can rate Laughing Dove sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 44th at about 20%. 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.

Q: Which relatives of the Laughing Dove live in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Same family: Columbidae. The closest relatives of the Laughing Dove that you can see in Masai Mara National Reserve (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Cape Turtle Dove (about 60%), Red-eyed Dove (about 30%) and Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: 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 Masai Mara National Reserve (493 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.

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)

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

at Masai Mara National Reserve

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

493 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026

25,522 In all 62 parks

April Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge African City Birds AfricaEasy

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 →

Sounds

Song0:26

Senegal · 2026

Dawn song0:14

Cyprus · 2024

Call0:37

South Africa · 2022

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 18 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~70%
2	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~70%
3	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	~70%
4	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
5	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
6	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
7	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
8	Rottnest Island	🇦🇺 Australia	~50%
9	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~50%
10	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
11	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
12	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~50%
13	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
14	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	~50%
15	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~50%
16	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
17	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~40%
18	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
19	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
20	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
21	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	~40%
22	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	~40%
23	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
24	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
25	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~30%
26	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
27	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
28	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
29	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
30	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
31	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~30%
32	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
33	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
34	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
35	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~20%
36	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
37	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
38	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
39	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
40	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
41	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
42	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
43	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
44	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
45	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~20%
46	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
47	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
48	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
49	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
50	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
51	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~10%
52	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
53	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
54	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
55	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
56	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
57	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
58	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
59	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
60	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
61	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
62	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Raipur	🇮🇳 India	>90%
2	Ouagadougou	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	>90%
3	Doha	🇶🇦 Qatar	>90%
4	Abu Dhabi	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	>90%
5	Amman	🇯🇴 Jordan	>90%
6	Dubai	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	>90%
7	Riyadh	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	~90%
8	Jerusalem	🇮🇱 Israel	~90%
9	Maiduguri	🇳🇬 Nigeria	~90%
10	Cairo	🇪🇬 Egypt	~90%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
3	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Al Ain Zoo	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
5	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
6	Wildlands	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
7	Zoológico Benito Juárez	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
8	Wilhelma	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
9	Hanover Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
10	Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden	🇭🇺 Hungary	In captivity
11	Bird Paradise	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
12	Rainforest Wild Asia	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
13	Vogelpark Avifauna	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
14	African Dawn Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
15	Santillana Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
16	World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
17	Zoopark Nehvizdy	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
18	Aquarium Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 18 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

Streptopelia capicola

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Streptopelia semitorquata

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Turtur chalcospilos

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Columba guinea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Treron calvus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Streptopelia lugens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Oena capensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Turtur tympanistria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Columba arquatrix

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Turtur afer

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lamprotornis superbus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 493 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 84th most-seen of the 398 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 Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

April

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in January, March, May and July–August, the lowest months. That is one of Masai Mara National Reserve's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.

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 Masai Mara National Reserve the best place to see a Laughing Dove?

44th of 62

Of the 62 parks where we can rate Laughing Dove sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 44th at about 20%. 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 Masai Mara National Reserve?

Same family: Columbidae

The closest relatives of the Laughing Dove that you can see in Masai Mara National Reserve (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Cape Turtle Dove (about 60%), Red-eyed Dove (about 30%) and Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (about 20%), 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 Masai Mara National Reserve (493 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.

← Back to Masai Mara National Reserve

Laughing Dove

About the Laughing Dove

Sounds

Recent sightings of Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

Cape Turtle Dove

Red-eyed Dove

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Speckled Pigeon

African Green Pigeon

Dusky Turtle Dove

Namaqua Dove

Tambourine Dove

Rameron Pigeon

Blue-spotted Wood-Dove

Superb Starling

Lilac-breasted Roller

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

When is the best time to see a Laughing Dove in Masai Mara National Reserve?

What time of day is best to see a Laughing Dove?

Is Masai Mara National Reserve the best place to see a Laughing Dove?

Which relatives of the Laughing Dove live in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Where does the Laughing Dove sighting chance come from?