Genus The Diamond Dove belongs to the genus Geopelia which includes five small, long tailed doves that eat grains and live in the relatively open savanna and semi-arid regions in Australia. One of the five species, the Zebra Dove, has a range that extends into Southeast Asia. Four of the species have barred plumage while one, the Diamond Dove, has spotted plumage.
Description The diamond dove is sometimes known as the Little Dove and the Little Turtle Dove.
The diamond dove is one of the smallest of the Australian doves, weighing only 23 to 27 grams and has a length of 193 to 213 mm. It has a grey body and the adult bird has white diamond specks on its wings. The eyes of the adult bird are set off by a pronounced orange ring. The adult birds can often be sexed by the thickness of the eye ring and the colour of their wing feathers. The males have a silver gray color and an orange or red eye ring of 2-3 mm in thickness after an age of one year. The females tend toward a brown grey colour and have an eye ring of about 1 mm in thickness.