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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Columbidae
  4. ›
  5. Spilopelia
  6. ›
  7. Spotted Dove
Spotted Dove
Photo · no rights reserved

BirdUp · Species

Spotted Dove

Spilopelia chinensis(Scopoli, 1786)

Updated 11 June 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Introduced
Order
COLUMBIFORMES
Family
Columbidae
Genus
Spilopelia

At a glance

The Spotted Dove is a medium-sized bird, about 30–33 cm long, listed as Least Concern. It can be seen year-round.

Size
30–33 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Introduced
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Spotted Dove look like?

The Spotted Dove is a medium-sized bird, about 30–33 cm long and weighing 110–205 g.

The spotted dove or eastern spotted dove is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in East and Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many parts of the world and feral populations have become established.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
30–33 cm
Weight
110–205 g
Wingspan
43 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Spotted Dove?

The Spotted Dove is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

Call

ianrainbow · Upwey VIC 3158, Australia

Call

James Ray · Sydney - South, AU-NS, AU

Call

Jono · South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia

Call

Jono · Cossington Smith Cr before Fairweather Cct, Lyneham ACT 2602, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Spotted Dove eat?

The Spotted Dove feeds on seeds, usually foraging in pairs or flocks or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

4 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Spotted Dove live in Australia?

The Spotted Dove is found in Australia, recorded across 58 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning widespread.

BreedingWidespread

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident

8 regions recorded