Tambourine Dove
Tambourine DoveTambourine DoveTambourine DoveTambourine Dove

Tambourine Dove

Turtur tympanistria

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
143 Verified records at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent from the drier areas of south-western Africa. There is a population on the Comoros Islands. This is very much a species of thick woodlands, including dense gardens and plantations of castor oil, cocoa and rubber. As such, this shy species is usually seen when flushed whilst feeding on the forest floor. The tambourine dove builds a frail stick nest low in a thicket or vine tangle, and lays two cream-coloured eggs. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Tambourine Dove sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 143 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
LC

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turtur chalcospilos

10–20% · With luck
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
LC

Blue-spotted Wood-Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turtur afer

<5% · Rare
Cape Turtle Dove
LC

Cape Turtle Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia capicola

40–50% · Likely
LADO

LADO

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia senegalensis

20–30% · Possible
Red-eyed Dove
LC

Red-eyed Dove

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Streptopelia semitorquata

20–30% · Possible
Speckled Pigeon
LC

Speckled Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columba guinea

20–30% · Possible
African Mourning Dove
LC

African Mourning Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia decipiens

20–30% · Possible
Dusky Turtle Dove
LC

Dusky Turtle Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia lugens

10–20% · With luck
Namaqua Dove
LC

Namaqua Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oena capensis

10–20% · With luck
Rameron Pigeon
LC

Rameron Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columba arquatrix

5–10% · With luck
African Green Pigeon
LC

African Green Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Treron calvus

<5% · Rare
African Lemon Dove

African Lemon Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columba larvata

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
<5
Mar
5–10
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
2 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
3 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
30–40%
4 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
5 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
6 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
20–30%
7 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
8 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
10–20%
9 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
10 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
11 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
12 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
13 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
14 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
15 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
16 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
17 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
5–10%
18 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
19 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
20 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
21 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
22 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
23 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
24 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
25 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
26 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
<5%
27 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
28 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
29 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
30 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
31 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
32 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
33 Taï National Park 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Insufficient data
34 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
35 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
36 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
37 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
38 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
39 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tambourine Dove in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Tambourine Dove sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 143 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tambourine Dove in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

January has the highest sighting rate for Tambourine Dove in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.

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