Turtur is a small genus of doves native to Sub-Saharan Africa.[1] Species in this genus are known as wood doves.
The genus Turtur was introduced in 1783 by the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert to accommodate the blue-spotted wood dove (Turtur afer).[2] [3] The word Turtur is Latin for "turtle dove".[4]
The genus contains five species:[5]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turtur chalcospilos | Emerald-spotted wood dove | eastern and southern Africa. | |
| Turtur abyssinicus | Black-billed wood dove | Africa just south of the Sahara Desert. | |
| Turtur afer | Blue-spotted wood dove | Africa south of the Sahel | |
| Turtur tympanistria | Tambourine dove | from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa | |
| Turtur brehmeri | Blue-headed wood dove | African tropical rainforest. | |