Turtle Dove

Turtle-Dove, any bird of the genus Turtur of the family Columbidae, with about thirty species, all from the Old World. The bill is slender, with the upper mandible slightly bent down at the tip; the wings are long and pointed, and the long tail is rounded or graduated. The Common Turtle-Dove (T. communis) visits Britain in May, leaving in September. The male is aout a foot long, with bluish-grey plumage, and the tail-feathers tipped with white. The name is sometimes given to the Collared Turtle-Dove (T. risorius), with pale creamy plumage, and a black semi-circular mark on the nape. [PIGEON.]