Taxonomy
The vinaceous dove was Species description, formally described in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other doves and pigeons in the genus ''Columba (genus), Columba'' and coined the binomial nomenclature, binomial name ''Columba vinacea''. Gmelin based his description on the earlier publications by French ornithologists Mathurin Jacques Brisson and Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The vinaceous dove is now placed with 14 other species in the genus ''Streptopelia'' that was introduced in 1855 by French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek στρεπτός (''streptós'') – literal meaning "twisted", but by extension, "wearing a torc" (i.e., twisted metal collar) – and πέλεια (''péleia'') meaning "wild dove". The specific ''vinacea'' is from Latin ''vinaceus'', meaning "of wine" or "vinaceous". The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognised.Description
The vinaceous dove is a small, stocky pigeon, typically in length. Its back, wings, and tail are pale brown. When flying, it shows a blackish underwing. The head and the underparts are pale pinkish-grey, and it has a black hind-neck patch edged with white. The legs are red, with white in the tail. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults. The call is a fast ''coo-cu-cu-coo''. It builds a stick nest in a tree, often an acacia, and lays two white Egg (biology), eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings is characteristic of pigeons in general.Distribution and habitat
The vinaceous dove is a common bird that is found in Central Africa, central and West Africa, western African countries such as Senegal, The Gambia, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria. This species is abundant in scrub and savannah.Diet
Vinaceous doves eat grass seeds, grains, and other vegetation. They are quite terrestrial, and usually forage on the ground. Unlike several other species in this genus, they are very gregarious and often feed in large group, frequently with other doves.References
* ''Birds of The Gambia'' by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, {{Taxonbar, from=Q1265602 Streptopelia, vinaceous dove Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa Birds described in 1789, vinaceous dove Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, vinaceous dove