08/07/2021
Laughing Dove
Quick Facts
Scientific name – Spilopelia senegalensis
Weight – Male 150-196 g, female 125-196 g
Length – 25 – 27 cm
Wingspan – 40 – 45 cm
Age – Between 5 and 10 years.
Diet – Mostly seeds but also some invertebrates.
Habitat – Cities and villages with thick hedges.
Threats – Food and sport hunting, as well as traps for pet trade are the threats of this bird, but this species has an extremely wide range and it’s therefore not considered under threat. In fact, in some instances, it has been observed how actually the laughing dove benefited enormously from habitat disturbance and variations in the land use. Sometimes nests placed on fruit trees next to palm trees can be predated by some of the rats finding refuge on palm trees, in particular the Black Rat (Rattus rattus) often goes and steal the eggs of the laughing dove from the nest. This type of attack seems to be directed to the eggs, sparing the nestlings, this explains the increase in the survival rate with the age of the chicks.
