Dusky turtle-dove, Streptopelia lugens, photographed at Mt Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania, Africa.
Image: Dan Logen, 26 August 2007 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D2X, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm, ISO 250 f/6.3, 1/400 sec
Question: This bird shares a common name with a number of others in the same family. What is that name and how did it get it?
Response: This is a dusky turtle-dove, Streptopelia lugens. There are quite a few doves that are commonly known as turtle-doves, a name inspired by their deep, purring "turrr, turrr" song.
Turtle-doves are the gift "my true love gives to me" on the second day of Christmas in the carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." By the end of the song, the singer ends up with 2 football teams worth of them (that's soccer for you Americans).
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