Fun Lemon Dove Facts For Kids

The lemon dove, also known as the cinnamon dove due to its color, is a bird of the Columbidae family and Columba genus. Its binomial name of the bird is Columba larvata, but since it is also placed in the Aplopelia genus, it is also called Aplopelia larvata. Since the bird does not look like the other African birds belonging to its family, it is placed in a monotypic genus like Aplopelia or is considered a subspecies. It is a bird species endemic to the montane forest of southern Africa and eastern Africa. This bird lives at an altitude of 330-9,840 ft (100-3,000 m). Its breeding pairs are monogamous, and the female bird lays two creamy-white eggs. They nest very high up in the tree canopy but are usually sighted while they forage at much lower levels. The Columba larvata is dark brown, greenish-brown neck, and cinnamon brown underbelly and throat below. The distinct and unique white markings on the face and forehead differentiate it from the other Southern African pigeons of the genus Columba. The bird has red feet, orbital skin, and eyes. The bill is short and black.For more relatable content, check out these rook bird facts and flame bowerbird facts for kids.

What do they prey on? Insects

What do they eat? Small fruits, seeds, mollusks

Average litter size? 2 eggs

How much do they weigh? 2.88–5.29 oz (81.7–150 g)

How long are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

How tall are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

What do they look like? Cinnamon brown body, greyish-white face, and red irises

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction (minor)

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Montane Forests

Locations South And Eastern Africa

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Columba

Class Aves

Family Columbidae

Lemon Dove Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a lemon dove?The lemon dove (Columba larvata), also known as the cinnamon dove, is an endemic species of birds of Southern Africa.What class of animal does a lemon dove belong to?The cinnamon dove (lemon dove) belongs to Aves, the class of birds.How many lemon doves are there in the world?The exact number of lemon dove (Columba larvata) is unknown, but since they have an extensive range and their conservation status is Least Concern, there are more than 10,000 mature individuals in the world.Where does a lemon dove live?The Columba larvata (lemon dove) are birds of Southern Africa, western and eastern Africa. They have a wide range of distribution in Africa.What is a lemon dove’s habitat?The natural habitat of a cinnamon dove (lemon dove) is a montane forest at an altitude of 330-9,840 ft (100-3,000 m).Who does a lemon dove live with?This bird forms monogamous pairs and is seen in the wild singly or in pairs. There is no evidence of it flocking with conspecifics or birds of other species.How long does a lemon dove live?The exact lifespan of a lemon dove has not been recorded yet. It can be assumed to be around five to six years in the wild, as another pigeon from the Columbidae family has a lifespan of approximately six years in the wild.How do they reproduce?The lemon dove (Columba larvata) forms monogamous pairs until they die, after which the remaining individual finds a new mate. The Columba larvata (cinnamon dove) bird female lays between one to three cream-colored eggs and in their nest. This species of birds build their nest high up in the tree canopy of a Southern, eastern, or western African forest so that the nest remains protected from predators with the help of the natural branches and the dense green foliage, which can camouflage their nest. The nest is built using twigs, rootlets, and pine needles from the forest.What is their conservation status?The conservation status of Columba larvata (lemon dove) or Aplopelia larvata is Least Concern in the ICUN Red List. It is categorized so because of its wide range of species and subspecies, with no imminent threat of declining its vast population.Lemon Dove Fun FactsWhat does a lemon dove look like?The adult male plumage of the Columba larvata is dark brown, greenish-brown neck, and cinnamon brown underbelly and throat below. Distinct and unique white markings on the face and forehead differentiate it from the other Southern African pigeons of the genus Columba. The cinnamon dove has red feet, orbital skin, and piercing red eyes. The bill is short and black, with a slight curve at the tip. The female and young males or juveniles resemble a light cinnamon brown plumage on the entire body and dull grayish-white facial markings. The color of the feathers sees geographical variation; most eastern and southern African birds have reddish-brown underparts, while western and central African birds have gray underparts. The Columba larvata (lemon dove) males of western African subspecies have dark gray plumage. The Aplopelia larvata has a gray head, white-colored throat, purple legs, a bronze, pink-colored back, and red irises.How cute are they?The Columba larvata (lemon dove) is considered cute thanks to its small size, round body, and cute walk.How do they communicate?Like the common ground dove and many other bird species of this family, the lemon dove of southern Africa is also very loud and communicates using its voice. Its brown-colored body camouflages well in the forest and ground until it emits a loud call, a deep hoot, which can be delivered in a slow series or sometimes in a short series.How big is a lemon dove?The Columba larvata or Aplopelia larvata is 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm) long. It is the same size as the ringneck dove and is twice the size of a swamp sparrow. It is considered a small to medium-sized pigeon in its family.How fast can a lemon dove fly?While the exact speed of a lemon dove is not known, doves can fly at up to 60 mph (96.5 kph), and pigeons can fly at 77 mph (123 kph).How much does a lemon dove weigh?Lemon doves are light birds and weigh 2.88–5.29 oz (81.7–150 g); two to three times heavier than a black-billed cuckoo.What are the male and female names of the species?The male and female birds of this pigeon species do not have specific names.What would you call a baby lemon dove?While the baby of a lemon dove has no particular name, young birds are generally called chicks, juveniles, and hatchlings.What do they eat?The lemon dove is an omnivore, and its diet usually consists of small fruits, seeds, mollusks, bamboo seeds, and insects.Are they dangerous?No, these species of birds of southern Africa are harmless to humans. They are not predatory birds and do not harm or prey on other animals either.Would they make a good pet?There is not any precedent of lemon doves being kept as pets. It is best not to as these birds are wild and are used to a particular type of habitat. Like most wild birds, their life expectancy decreases when they are kept in a cage for too long. Even though their population is not in danger now, normalizing cagebird trade for this species will lead to its decline, like many others.Did you know…Lemon doves are non-migratory resident birds endemic to the forest of southern Africa and eastern Africa.Do doves have red eyes?The lemon dove is a bird species with captivating red eyes; the diamond dove also has red eyes, while the Eurasian collared dove has dark red eyes. The rock dove has flame-red eyes.What is the dove bird known for?White doves are considered symbols of love, peace or were often used as messengers. They have a unique ability to find their way to a particular place which may be hundreds or thousands of miles away. They were often used as messengers by royalty or military leaders.The dove is also associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Greek mythology (Venus in Roman mythology), which is why it also has romantic connotations and is used in phrases like ’lovey-dovey.‘Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our common myna facts and goliath heron facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lemon dove coloring pages.

What type of animal is a lemon dove?

The lemon dove (Columba larvata), also known as the cinnamon dove, is an endemic species of birds of Southern Africa.

Fun Lemon Dove Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Insects

What do they eat? Small fruits, seeds, mollusks

Average litter size? 2 eggs

How much do they weigh? 2.88–5.29 oz (81.7–150 g)

How long are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

How tall are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

What do they look like? Cinnamon brown body, greyish-white face, and red irises

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction (minor)

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Montane Forests

Locations South And Eastern Africa

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Columba

Class Aves

Family Columbidae

Fun Lemon Dove Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Insects

What do they eat? Small fruits, seeds, mollusks

Average litter size? 2 eggs

How much do they weigh? 2.88–5.29 oz (81.7–150 g)

How long are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

How tall are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

What do they look like? Cinnamon brown body, greyish-white face, and red irises

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction (minor)

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Montane Forests

Locations South And Eastern Africa

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Columba

Class Aves

Family Columbidae

Fun Lemon Dove Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Insects

What do they eat? Small fruits, seeds, mollusks

Average litter size? 2 eggs

How much do they weigh? 2.88–5.29 oz (81.7–150 g)

How long are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

How tall are they? 9.4–11.8 in (24–30 cm)

What do they look like? Cinnamon brown body, greyish-white face, and red irises

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction (minor)

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Montane Forests

Locations South And Eastern Africa

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Columba

Class Aves

Family Columbidae