Streptopelia orientalis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Hemis National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 7 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 9 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Jiuzhaigou National Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 11 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 12 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 15 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 17 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 18 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 19 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 21 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 22 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 23 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 24 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 4 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove sighting in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, based on 105 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 159th most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Turtle Dove in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to December, the lowest months. Those are among Nagarhole National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 270 mm in July.
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.
15th of 24
Of the 24 parks where we can rate Oriental Turtle Dove sightings, Nagarhole National Park ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nikko National Park (Japan, about 40%), Langtang National Park (Nepal, about 40%) and Hemis National Park (India, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Oriental Turtle Dove that you can see in Nagarhole National Park (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Pearl-necked Dove (about 70%), Green Imperial-Pigeon (about 20%) and Yellow-footed Green Pigeon (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oriental Turtle Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Nagarhole National Park (105 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.
