02 He aha tērā? Barbary Dove

You hear some cooing and see these birds nearby, maybe in a tree, on flax spears, or on the ground. He aha tērā? What is that?

Photo by Sophie Campbell. Used with permission.

Answer: it’s a Barbary dove:

Identification: Length: 28 cm; Weight: 140 g

Similar species: Spotted dove

The Barbary dove is the domesticated form of the African collared dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea), a native of the Sahel, Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula. It has been domesticated for many hundreds of years, something that is reflected in its confiding and gentle nature. Because of its long dependence on people, it seems less able than other dove species to survive for long in the wild.