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Endemic Species White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Yellow Tit
Endemic Sub-Species
Winter Wren
More Birds in Taiwan
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Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis orii Endemic subspecies
The Oriental Turtle-Dove is a medium-sized (33 cm) dove with a grayish pink neck and breast, a whitish ventral region, and a bluish gray head and rump. The feathers of the mantle, scapulars and wing coverts are slaty gray with orange-buff edgings, creating a scaly appearance. The primaries are black with gray edges, and the tail is blackish, grayer in the centre. There is a black patch with light gray stripes on the side of the neck. The feet and legs are reddish purple, and the bill mostly black. The Oriental Turtle-Dove usually feeds on the ground, eating a variety of plants including cereals, pine seeds, bamboo shoots and berries. The breeding season may extend from May to August. The nest is a flimsy platform of twigs placed at moderate height in a tree or bush, and the female usually lays two white eggs. The call of the Oriental Turtle-Dove is a melodious "goo, goo-goo, goo, goo". The Taiwan subspecies orii is duller and smaller than continental subspecies, but differences are probably not separable in the field. In Taiwan the Oriental Turtle-Dove is resident year-round, and is a common bird of field edges, sparsely wooded areas, marshes, mangroves and farmland, from low to mid elevations.
References: Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 4; A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2, December 2004
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