The Story
This is a Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) that I photographed near the Mai Po Marshes in Hong Kong’s northwest New Territories on March 22, 2018. It is a small, long-tailed dove with a white-spotted black collar patch on the back and sides of the neck. It is a common resident across the Indian subcontinent and East and Southeast Asia. It lives in light forest and gardens as well as in towns. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. WWF Hong Kong has managed the Mai Po reserve since 1983. The reserve supports globally important numbers of wetland birds, which arrive in winter and during spring and autumn migration.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, −1 EV. WWF’s work at Mai Po, including education and bird monitoring with public help, keeps this wetland open to people and safe for birds.
©2018 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) belongs to the family Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List