Laughing Doves in Rajasthan, 80 km from Delhi, India

on 10th January 2019

“A pair of Laughing Doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) is perching on an Indian Gooseberry a.k.a amla (Phyllanthus emblica) plant in our garden. They are the only birds living in or visiting our garden that stay perched at a single spot several minutes at a time. They are very peaceful to be around, often looking into the distance meditatively.

Video grab.

“Sparrows and tailor birds in contrast, hop around all the time. I shot this from inside a room so you don’t hear bird sounds. Instead, you hear the movement of the clock hand! I read on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that ‘Males have favorite “cooing perches” they defend from other males. Members of a pair preen each other with gentle nibbles around the neck as a pair-bonding ritual. Eventually, the pair will progress to grasping beaks and bobbing their heads up and down in unison.'”

Anjana Mehta
Rajasthan, India
30th December 2018

Editor’s note: The YouTube video shows a pair of Laughing Doves which the contributor identified as Mourning Doves which are found in North America.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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2 responses

  1. Both the bird and the plant identified in the description are wrong. Mourning Doves are only found in North America. Those are Laughing Doves _Spilopelia senegalensis_ and that plant is Indian Gooseberry _Phyllanthus emblica_ , not Gooseberry _Ribes uva-crispa_ I suspect that the author used Google Lens for identification and then googled the scientific names (and forgot the ‘Indian’ in the Gooseberry).

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