Tambourine Dove
Turtur tympanistria
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderColumbiformes
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusTurtur
- SpeciesTurtur tympanistria (Tambourine Dove)
The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent from the drier areas of south-western Africa. There is a population on the Comoros Islands. This is very much a species of thick woodlands, including dense gardens and plantations of castor oil, cocoa and rubber. As such, this shy species is usually seen when flushed whilst feeding on the forest floor. The tambourine dove builds a frail stick nest low in a thicket or vine tangle, and lays two cream-coloured eggs. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Tambourine Dove sighting in Nyungwe National Park, based on 239 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Nyungwe National Park
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
Turtur afer
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Turtur chalcospilos
Red-eyed Dove
Streptopelia semitorquata
Dusky Turtle Dove
Streptopelia lugens
Cape Turtle Dove
Streptopelia capicola
African Green Pigeon
Treron calvus
Rameron Pigeon
Columba arquatrix
Speckled Pigeon
Columba guinea
African Lemon Dove
Columba larvata
LADO
Spilopelia senegalensis
African Mourning Dove
Streptopelia decipiens
Afep Pigeon
Columba unicincta
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tambourine Dove in Nyungwe National Park?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Tambourine Dove sighting in Nyungwe National Park, based on 239 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tambourine Dove in Nyungwe National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Tambourine Dove in Nyungwe National Park in our monthly data.