Caged spotted doves were first freed in Mt Eden Auckland in the 1920’s. They eat the seeds of grasses and other plants sometimes adding small insects to their diets. Their coo-ing call sounds a bit like the call of a morepork but they are a daytime bird.  Adult birds have a spotted patch on their necks.

The other introduced dove found in New Zealand is the barbary dove which is smaller and has a dark ring around the back of its neck.

Malay spotted dove websites

• NZ Birds Online spotted dove page
• NatureWatch NZ spotted dove page
• Oiseaux-birds spotted dove page