Africa is home to many unusual and beautiful doves. The common domestic ringneck dove is of African decent. This dove is similar and somewhat related to our domestic doves. Larger than a common domestic ringneck dove the Half-Collar dove is an uncommonly beautiful and gentle dove. This same dove is also called the Red-eyed dove, Cape Turtle dove, Cape Ringdove, Damara Dove and the Dark-eyed Ringdove.
In the United States most dove fanciers but not all refer to this dove as the Half-collared dove (Streptopelia capicola). Regardless of what this African beauty is called it's unique.

Description of the Adult Male:

Largest of the African Turtle doves (Streptoplia). The body is mostly brown with lots of pinish-gray shading. The throat is nearly white with the face and forehead a pale grayish-blue. The crown is a darker slate gray with a thin black stripe that extends from the eye to the bill on both sides. Beneath the tail the dove is nearly white again the nape and frontal part of the neck is a pinkish-mauve-gray. The ring or half collar on the back of the neck is thick and jet black. The wings and wing flights are a dark Payne's gray. The bill is black. Legs and feet are reddish-purple. In some individuals the feet and legs can be dark purple and even gray, especially in immature birds.
The eyes of both sexes are incredibly expressive. The eyes are a liquidy raw umber brown with the orbital skin surrounding the eyes yellow or gold.
The female of this species is very similar. She is a tiny bit smaller and has less of the pinkish sheen.

Distribution and Habitat in the Wild:

The Half-Collar dove inhabits a large area of the African continent. This dove ranges from southern Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa in the south. This specie is commonly found in dry, open country. It is also found in savannas, areas of trees and brush but never in dense forests of tropical rain forests .The Half-Collar dove ranges and overlaps many other related turtle dove areas. It is not uncommon to see flocks of Half-Collar doves feeding with several smaller related turtle dove species.

Captivity:

The Half-Collared dove does very well in captivity. This specie has been raised and bred in aviaries for many years. This specie is common enough that very few are exhibited at zoos or public aviaries.
The Half-Collared dove resembles the wild color type domestic ringneck dove. Although it is larger and has a very different voice than the domestic kin in which it is related. Because of the similarity few dove breeders keep the Half-Collared dove. Size also comes into play for dove fanciers that have limited space. The Half-Collar is not quite but nearly as large as a small roller pigeon.
This specie does breed well in captivity. This dove can also be kept with smaller doves and birds without concern of aggression. Unlike its domestic cousin the common ringneck it is not overly loud nor does it tend to dominate other doves.

Diet in Captivity:

The requirements of the Half-Collared dove are very modest. This dove is a seedeater and will thrive on a diet of small seeds. Commercial dove seed or small grained pigeon mixes will do quite nicely. Our birds eat a mixture of enriched finch mix, safflower, niger, millet, and barley. We provide some soft foods in the form of steamed rice, wheat, and barley as well as raw grated vegetables. Vitamins are also added regularly. Our Half-Collared doves are especially fond of raw peanuts and some live food. Fresh water, cuttle bone and health grit round out the diet as well.
Many dove aviculturists including myself provide a feed hopper full of seed at all times. However I am cognizant that in the wild doves spend a considerable amount of time searching for food. I scatter some of their favorite seeds such as Niger, safflower, millet spray, rape, raisins, and raw peanuts among the plants and on the sandy aviary floor. Doves than spend many hours searching for their favorite tidbits! I'm carefully not too overdo the treats and also not to scatter goodies where they can be contaminated by droppings.
One of the nation's top zoos was concerned that its bears were lifeless and "bored". They theorized that if the captive zoo bears spent more time foraging they would be less bored. It worked like a charm. Zookeepers hid treats and the bears spent happy hours seeking out the goodies.
Captive wild doves need that stimulation love to watch my doves. Doves that are active and healthy are more inclined to reproduce.
Small doves due to their metabolism need to eat constantly. The feed hoppers are always available

Personality:

Half-Collared doves are easy keepers. They are not noisy like their domestic kin and far less aggressive as well. This specie also has a unique way of flying. They clap their wings when flying. Some domestic pigeons share this similar characteristic.
I enjoy watching them clap their wings as they fly from one roost to another. They also do spend a considerable amount of time scouting for seeds on the aviary floor.

Breeding:

The Half-Collar dove is not a difficult dove to breed in captivity. They do require a large enough aviary. Nest can be the size of a cigar box or a small basket. They will nest quickly and add to the nest a collection of twigs and pine needles. The hen will lay two creamy white eggs. After the second egg is laid both parents will faithfully incubate for a period of sixteen to seventeen days. The young squealers are blind and totally helpless. Both parents provide the babies with crop milk until they are able to digest solid food. The young squabs fledge at eighteen to twenty days. Both parents will continue to feed the young until they are totally weaned at four to five weeks of age. Usually the parents will begin to nest within three weeks of their young. The male assumes the responsibility of feeding the young as the female prepares for her second family.
Young Half-Collar doves are vulnerable to getting chilled once they leave the nest. In one corner of the aviary I have a wooden box (2 feet by 3 feet, and twelve inches high) that is solid on all sides with a removable top. I use a twenty-five watt light bulb for warmth. Every evening I collect any young doves that are on the aviary floor and put them in the heated box for the nighttime. In the morning I put them back on the floor of the aviary. Their parents always locate them and feed them during the day. I repeat this every evening until there are no young doves on the floor. If they are flying to roost than they are strong enough not to get chilled at night.
Our evenings are twenty to thirty degrees cooler than our daytime highs during the summer. Young doves become chilled because they lack body mass. Special care needs to be exercised when handling young doves or they can expire due to fright.
Aviculturists that do not have electricity in their aviaries can collect young doves and put them in a heated box over night in the garage or basement. Young doves than can be returned outside the next day.