I’ll bet you’ve heard these calls before! Doves and pigeons form the background soundtracks of our lives. Whether we’re in the garden at home, or out in the wilderness. They all have relaxing, mellow, beautiful calls. Mainly low-pitched hoots. Most also have specials calls that they make while flying, or just as they land. Some even clap their wings together to make a loud slapping sound. Let’s go!

African Green Pigeon
Papegaaiduif

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The first one is probably the weirdest! A series of growls, clicks and whistles. One part sounds like Tarzan’s cry as he’s swinging through the jungle. It is not a very loud sound, but you’ll hear it if you stand under a fruiting fig tree.

Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
Tuinduif

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These common city birds make a deep cooing sound – so deep in fact, that phones have trouble playing it with their small speakers. It is not a loud or very obvious sound, unless the birds are nesting in your walls. I recorded this by scattering some seeds around my phone on the concrete.

Speckled Pigeon
Kransduif

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These big pigeons sound a bit like owls or flufftails. A deep hooting sound that is repeated quickly: hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo… It grows and fades in a long series. Sometimes the bird “catches its breath” in the middle. Also makes a nice vukutu, WOOO! which you can hear at the end of this clip.

Red-eyed Dove
Grootringduif

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I grew up to this sound in Pretoria. Sometimes these doves will even sing at night, especially after a noise or disturbance. It says its name: I AM, a-red-eyed-dove; I AM, a-red-eyed-dove. Or in Afrikaans: EK IS, ‘n grootringduif; EK IS, ‘n grootringduif. Easy! I also put in a lower “growling” variation. The sound at the end of the clip they usually make when flying or landing.

African Mourning (Collared) Dove
Rooioogtortelduif

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I love this guy’s call: WOO-krooo, with a throaty, rolling ‘r’. They often follow this up with a bunch of coo‘s. But the coolest of all is that strange growling, purring sound that they make (at the end of the clip). Usually when flying.

Cape Turtle (Ring-necked) Dove
Gewone Tortelduif

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You’ll hear this sound all over Africa! Helpfully, this dove says its name: Cape-TURRtle; Cape-TURRtle. Or in Afrikaans werk-HARDer, werk-HARDer. Or you can invent your own variation. Basically any phrase with three syllables will work. There is also a different variation, and at the end of the clip you hear their whistling wing-clapping and their landing call.

Laughing Dove
Rooiborsduif

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This is why it’s called a Laughing Dove! It sound like it is chuckling at a joke: hahaHAhaha (you have to use your imagination a little). The call is loudest in the middle. I also included a variation which is a bit slower. They make another short call too, but only very rarely. I haven’t been able to record it…yet.

Lemon Dove
Kaneelduifie

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This bird was very close to the microphone when I recorded this. A very deep, low, soft woop, woop, woop… This was in Magoebaskloof forest one rainy morning (you can hear the raindrops falling on the leaves). A Piet-my-vrou is calling loudly in the background, as usual.

Namaqua Dove
Namakwaduifie

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You don’t often hear Namaqua Doves, and even if you’re close the sound is not very loud. The males give this three-note hoot: coo-hu-whoo, coo-hu-whoo… They often call once they’ve had a drink and are resting in a shady thorn tree. An African Reed Warbler is singing in the background, and there’s a trill from a Namaqua Warbler right at the end.

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
Groenvlekduifie

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The soundtrack of the Bushveld! This soft, sad-sounding song starts slowly so you don’t notice it at first. But then it picks up speed towards the end. It is difficult to spot these little doves when they’re singing, because it’s tough to pinpoint exactly where the sound is coming from. BTW, there’s a Striped Pipit singing in the background.

Blue-spotted Wood Dove
Blouvlekduifie

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I don’t think I can distinguish the songs of Emerald and Blue-spotted Wood Doves. It is safest to track down the singer and check the colour of the bill and wing spots. Blue-spotted likes more forested habitats, but you sometimes find both species close together.

Tambourine Dove
Witborsduifie

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This third “dwarf dove” sounds much like the previous too. However, if you concentrate you can hear that it has a slightly deeper voice. Also, there are more notes at the end of the song, so the ending sounds drawn-out.

  • Please be careful not to disturb birds too much if you’re playing their sounds.
  • All the sound and images on this page are copyright Faansie Peacock/Firefinch App.
  • To hear all the bird sounds, check out my Firefinch app on App Store/Google Play.