- turtledove
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/terr"tl duv'/, n.1. any of several small to medium-sized Old World doves of the genus Streptopelia, esp. S. turtur, of Europe, having a long, graduated tail: noted for its soft, cooing call.2. See mourning dove.3. a sweetheart or beloved mate.[1250-1300; ME turtildove, equiv. to turtil TURTLE2 + dove DOVE1]
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Species (Streptopelia turtur,family Columbidae) of migratory European pigeon that winters in northern Africa.It is about 11 in. (28 cm) long and has a reddish brown body, blue-gray head, and white-tipped tail. A ground feeder, it eats prodigious amounts of small seeds. The name is applied to other temperate and tropical Old World Streptopeliaspecies of slim, fast-flying game birds. The ringed turtledove, or ringdove, has feral populations in California and Florida, U.S.; the laughing and spotted doves have also been introduced outside their native habitats.* * *
▪ birdalso spelled turtle doveEuropean and North African bird of the pigeon family, Columbidae (order Columbiformes), that is the namesake of its genus. The turtledove is 28 cm (11 inches) long. Its body is reddish brown, the head is blue-gray, and the tail is marked with a white tip. It is a ground feeder that eats prodigious amounts of small seeds. A migratory species, it winters in northern Africa.The name turtledove is commonly applied to the other Streptopelia species, including collared doves (S. decaocto) and ring-necked doves (S. capicola). These slim-bodied, fast-flying gamebirds are found throughout the temperate and tropical Old World. The ringed turtledove, or ringdove (wood pigeon), is a domestic variant of S. turtur that now has feral New World populations in California and Florida; it is sometimes given species status as S. risoria. The laughing dove (S. senegalensis) and spotted dove (S. chinensis) have also been introduced outside their native habitats. The use of the term turtle in this pigeon's common name is derived from the sound of its call; the bird has no association with shelled reptiles.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
