Namaqua Dove

Oena capensis (Linnaeus, 1766)

Columbidae — Pigeons, Doves

Namaqua Dove, Oena capensis, is a breeding bird of Africa and the Middle East, with a wide presence across Africa and a range that reaches Cyprus and south-west Iran. It is a pigeon in the family Columbidae and the only member of its genus. The bird is a very small species with a notably long black tail, and its form has often been likened to a budgerigar. It lives in near-desert country with acacias and bushes, and is also known as Cape dove and long-tailed dove.

Order
Columbiformes
Family
Columbidae — Pigeons, Doves
Breeding range
Africa, Palearctic: widespread in Africa. Also Middle East from Cyprus to sw Iran
Namaqua Dove
© Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

7 tours in South Africa 4, Uganda 1, Tanzania 1, Namibia 1

15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 15 days

A 15-day Uganda birding circuit from Entebbe through Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo, Mgahinga, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Semliki for Sh...

From USD 4,685
Tanzania Birding and Game Viewing with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Tanzania Birding and Game Viewing with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Tanzania / Arusha Group tour 9 days

9-day Tanzania birding and wildlife itinerary with Johnnie Uganda Safaris....

2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 2 days

Explore the Western Cape coast over two days, from Darling farmland and Geelbek shorebirds to a Berg River boat trip and Velddrif wetlands....

10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 10 days

A private or small-group Western Cape birding itinerary from Cape Town through the Cape Peninsula, West Coast, Tankwa Karoo, Agulhas Plain, ...

Private West Coast Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
Private West Coast Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 1 day

A private full-day circuit from Cape Town through Darling and the West Coast National Park for larks, korhaans, raptors, shorebirds and coas...

From ZAR 7,000
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Namibia / Walvis Bay Group tour 18 days

An 18-day birding expedition from Namibia's Atlantic coast through Etosha and the Okavango Panhandle to Victoria Falls, combining desert nea...

From USD 10,206
Private 3-Day Tankwa Karoo Birding Tour with Birding Ecotours
Private 3-Day Tankwa Karoo Birding Tour with Birding Ecotours
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 3 days

A private three-day circuit from Cape Town through Ceres into the Tankwa Karoo for arid-zone endemics, canyon specialists and optional night...

From ZAR 17,550