Red-eyed dove
'Streptopelia semitorquata'
Swahili: Tetere macho-mekundu
Best parks to see it: Widespread
Widespread below 10,000 ft (3,000 m). Frequent in wooded gardens and forest edges. Its six note call, "coo-COO, cu-cu-cu-cu", can be usually heard at lodges and camps and makes an omnipresent musical background while on safari. The black nuchal collar makes it similar to the African mourning dove and the ring-necked dove, but the three species can be easily differentiated by their eyes. Those of the red-eyed dove are dark red, almost black, with a red orbital ring. The African mourning dove has yellow eyes, with an orange orbital ring. Finally, the ring-necked dove has black eyes and no orbital ring. Besides, the red-eyed dove's tail tip is pale grey, while it is white in the other two species.
Red-eyed dove at Mount Kenya Safari Club. J.Y./Kenyalogy.com
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