Bird of the Week: Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove
They say perfection is a myth and yet...this bird exists.
Hello everyone and TGIB (thank god it’s Bird of the Week day, obviously).
Let’s not waste any time: Earlier this summer, in a previous installment of Bird of the Week, I wrote an impassioned ode to the pigeon—a much-maligned but actually perfect—in fact, transcendent—bird. God-tier and the people’s bird all at once? HOW do they DO it???
Anyway, everything I wrote in that blog stands, and I love all pigeons equally, but this week, we’re spotlighting a pigeon/dove that straight up took my breath away. I should note before we charge ahead that pigeons and doves are in the same taxonomic family of birds (called Columbidae) and the difference between them is more linguistic than anything else, but it is commonly understood that pigeons are larger and thicker. Honestly, it’s more than slightly screwed up that doves are considered symbols of beauty and pigeons are considered symbols of filth when the two are in fact basically the same. Just one of the reasons why pigeons rule and should get your undying support. Words matter, even in the non-lingual realm of birds!
Okay, speaking of which: Imagine a pigeon—an already-stunning specimen—made even more perfect by a powerful-yet-refined bedazzling of iridescent emerald gemstones. Like, holy shit man!
Once you regain your ability to speak, say hello to the emerald-spotted wood dove, a small, ground-dwelling bird, with some of the best coloring in the whole animal kingdom. This creature truly exemplifies the idea that one bold accessory is the superior styling ethos. The emerald-spotted wood dove resides in savannas, thickets, and other wooded environs across central, eastern, and southern Africa, and has adapted to living in urban areas as well. It forages on the ground for seeds, grasses, berries, and bugs, and is usually spotted alone or in pairs, though it may form larger flocks at eating and drinking sites. Emerald-spotted wood doves generally fly low, build ramshackle nests as is their species’ way, are monogamous, and males and females take turns incubating eggs, and, blah, blah, blah, look at them!!
Can you imagine bouncing around the planet and having those feathers?? You couldn’t tell me anything. And now that you’ve hopefully started to really process how beautiful this bird is, let me tell you a mind-blowing fact, which is that its plumage isn’t even necessarily the most notable thing about the emerald-spotted wood dove. If you google them, the thing that pops up in equal measure to their feathers is their vocalizations!
The call of the emerald-spotted wood dove is similar to dove calls you’ve probably heard before: two soft, long, melancholic coos, followed by a series of descending coos, and rapid coos at the very end. It’s stunning and lovely.
Just a chill, gorgeous bird with a chill, gorgeous voice. Complete confidence and self-possession, absolutely no grandstanding. Perfection upon perfection. In conclusion, 100% yes:
Have you peeped our vast Bird of the Week archive? Now is the time. And if you have a Bird of the Week to recommend or just want to enter fowl chat, please reach out at hello@discourseblog.com.
