The Malay spotted dove is found mainly in and around Auckland but also in the Bay of Plenty, near Te Puke and Opotiki.
The birds’ natural range is Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Taiwan and
Timor.
Malay spotted doves are quite small birds and have been
described as self-effacing. These elegant doves are normally found alone or in pairs feeding
on the ground. When disturbed they rise swiftly and dash for leafy cover, revealing the white
tips of their outer tail feathers. More often their presence is indicated by a pleasant
crooning which may be heard at all seasons even in mid winter. They are at their most
conspicuous when the male stages its courtship flight, a steep upward climb and a downward
glide with wings stiff and tail fanned.
The Malay spotted doves apparently originate
from a substantial “liberation” at Mount Eden in the 1920s so their numbers have not increased
greatly in that time. The two places I am aware where they can be found in the Eastern Bay of
Plenty would seem to indicate they are attracted to places where there are other introduced
doves. However, their presence in the wild seems to be benign and they do not pose a threat
to native species.
