Common Dove - Description, habitat, interesting facts

Swans or turtle doves are considered the most beautiful birds among themselves. No wonder they become a symbol of loyalty, adorn wedding carriages and the ceremony in particular. Many people associate turtle doves with peace, love, and frequency, so they watch birds with such pleasure. There are many species of individuals that differ not only in color, but also in behavior. An interesting feature is the fact that turtle doves choose a pair forever.

Description

1. Turtle doves are understood as birds with dimensional features that are within 22-28 cm. They belong to the pigeon family, in the weight category they are slightly smaller than their counterparts and grow to 150 grams. maximum. As for the other differences, turtle-doves differ from the urban inhabitants of the pigeon family with their slender body, reddish-colored paws and rounded tail.
2. There are differences in terms of body color. For example, the upper section is painted in brownish tones. White strips are present in the area of ​​the feathers. All colors are combined with each other, forming a beautiful streamy pattern. In the neck there are strips of white and black tones that resemble decoration.
3. These birds are categorized as new. Among all the modern varieties of such birds more. The pterygoid and palatine bony tissues are connected, making the jaw relatively easy to move with respect to the skull. Therefore, birds make interesting movements with their beak.
4. General characteristics can not do without a description of the voice of these individuals. As a rule, he is sad and very melodic. If we compare it with natural sounds, the exclamations of turtle doves can be easily compared with babbling brooks.
5. In arid regions, people have adapted to look for reservoirs, exploring the sounds of birds. If turtle-doves are heard from a certain side, it means that you need to go there for water. In the evening these individuals flock to the source for a watering place.

Habitat

1. As for distribution, it all depends on the particular species of individual. For example, spotted representatives prefer to settle in Asia, and blue individuals love America. As for the diamond turtle doves, they live in Australia.
2. If the bird lives in the northern part, it will not remain in its native expanses when winter comes. Gathering in flocks, individuals go to Africa to wait out the cold. Most often they are met in Sudan and the Sahara. If pigeons get a family there, they stay forever and settle in one place.
3. The family under discussion does not settle in coniferous forests, birds like mixed or deciduous landings. City representatives can be found in the attics of apartment buildings, as well as in parks. Most often, the birds quickly get used to the person, eating seeds and bread.

Nutrition

1. Separately, it is worth noting that among representatives of turtle doves, there are species that can eat mixed food or even be vegetarians. In the first case, the basis of the ration of individuals often includes all kinds of mollusks and insects.
2. Birds that belong to the vegetarian species often include alder, birch and pine seeds in their menu.They also feed on grains of millet, buckwheat, wheat, hemp and sunflower. The problem is that when the turtle doves knock out sunflower seeds, they harm the crop.
3. That is why the individuals under consideration often suffer from farmers. In other cases, these birds collect the remaining seeds from the ground. Thus, they are not pests for humans. Quite the contrary, they are helping farmers with their actions. Birds feed on plants that are unnecessary for humans.
4. Since almost all individuals from the family of pigeons are similar to turtle doves, it is often found in the fields. Such a bird represents the usual blue dove. In addition, these individuals have a dozen similar species. It is worth noting that the total number of all pigeons on the planet has about 400 million individuals.

Interesting Facts

1. Interesting is the fact that in the names of some species of turtle doves there is an addition “earthen”. The prefix indicates that the individuals build their nests on the ground.
2. In other cases, most pigeons breed their offspring precisely above the ground. The location of the dwelling may vary at a height of from 0.5 m to 6 m.
3. Often the nest of represented individuals looks flat and asymmetrical. Birds build it from dry twigs. Hatching offspring involved both parents.

The represented individuals practically do not differ from the pigeons familiar to us. The young are born already after 2 weeks. After only 20 days, the chicks are already able to fly. In the wild, turtle doves can live up to 7 years. At the same time, individuals are completely unpretentious in food.

Video: Streptopelia turtur