The
zebra dove (
Geopelia striata) is a species of bird in the family
Columbidae, native to southeastern Asia. Unlike other doves, zebra doves tend to forage alone or in pairs. Their diet consists mostly of grass and weed seeds, and they will also eat insects and other small invertebrates. They prefer to forage on bare ground, short grass or on roadsides, scurrying about with rodent-like movement. Their grey-and-brown barred plumage
camouflages them well when they are on the ground. This zebra dove was photographed in the
Chinese Garden in Singapore.
Photograph credit: John Harrison