Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)

Blue-spotted Wood-dove (Turtur afer) - HBW 4, p. 149

French: Tourtelette améthystine German: Stahlflecktaube Spanish: Palomita Aliazul
Other common names: Red-billed/Sapphire-spotted/Metallic-spotted Wood-dove

Taxonomy: Columba afra Linnaeus, 1766, Senegal.
Related to T. abyssinicus, and often occurs sympatrically with either T. abyssinicus or T. chalcospilos. Birds of highlands of Ethiopia formerly awarded race mearnsi, and those of Mt Kilimanjaro zone race kilimensis, but neither nowadays considered valid. Monotypic.

Distribution: Senegambia through most of W & C Africa to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and S through Zaire to S Angola, SC Zambia, E Zimbabwe, S Mozambique and extreme E South Africa. Said to occur on Bioko (Fernando Póo), but this is now considered unlikely.