Oriental Turtle Dove

Streptopelia orientalis meena (Sykes, 1832)

		adult in flight
2010-05-30 Aspara, Merke region, Zhambyl oblast 2010-09-04 Aksu, Aksu region, Almaty oblast	© Askar Isabekov © Askar Isabekov

Description

General colour is lighter than orientalis . Nape and mantle are grey-brown, borders of upper wing coverts and scapulars are buffy-rusty, under tail coverts, tips and outer webs of outer pair of tail feathers are white, mid-abdomen is white.

Distribution

Breeds in Northern Kazakhstan, south up to middle part of Mugodjary ridge (Urkach forest), where recorded 20 June, Shortandy area, Kazakhishe upland, Irtysh valley between Pavlodar and Ust-Kamenogorsk, Southwest Altai, Kalbinskiy Altai, Saur, Tarbagatay, Dzhungarskiy Alatau and Tien Shan, where up to 2500-2600 m rise. Nests in Almaty Botanical garden and probably in foothills of Dzhungarskiy Alatau near Dzhansugurov village. In Naurzum Reserve where regularly observed in summer Oriental Turtle Dove is common on migration, but the breeding is also probable. Rare occurs on migration in other territory in west to lower current of Ural valley and Ustyurt.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.