Birdwatching in Thailand: The Red Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)

The Red Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is small pigeon common in the tropics of Asia.

In Thailand you often see the red Dove alone or as a pair on the cables and poles or foraging along the road. Dozens of these birds can often be seen in the late afternoon, gathering on the roadside cables before flying to their roosts.

If you want to photograph the pigeon up close, you can go to Lumphini Park, Suan Luang or Suan Rot Fai.

The red Tottel was first described by French naturalist Johann Hermann in 1804 and given the binomial name Columba tranquebarica. The red turtledove is now placed in the genus of Streptopelia which was introduced in 1855 by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte.

The bird has a length of 20-23 cm and a weight of about 104 grams. The male has a bluish head and light reddish-brown body with a black ring around its neck, while the female is similar but has a more pink color.

The pigeon prefers wooded areas such as canal or roadside tree plantations.