Naming Identity

Burung perkutut is scientifically known in Latin as Geopelia striata. Internationally, in English, this animal is known as the zebra dove.

This animal is called the turtle dove in Indonesia, while in other countries in Southeast Asia this animal has different names. The turtle dove is known as merbuk in Malaysia and batobatong katigbe or kurokutok in the Philippines.

The Origins of Scientific Naming

A British Royal College of Physics naturalist named George Edwards first described the dove which he said was brought from the East Indies in his book entitled A Natural History of Uncommon Birds in 1743. Then Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist in 1766, included this species in his notes which have been updated in the 12th edition entitled Systema Naturae.

In the note, the zebra dove is classified in the genus Columba. Meanwhile, the specific name of the species, striata, is taken from the Latin striatus, which means striated.

Taxonomy

Origin and Distribution

Zebra dove is a species of bird that originates from Southeast Asian countries. This animal can be found on the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia as well as in southern Thailand and Malaysia.

Now, zebra doves can also be found in central Thailand, Laos, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Hawaii (introduced in 1922), Tahiti (1950), New Caledonia, Seychelles, Chagos Islands (1960), Mauritius (before 1768), Réunion, and Saint Helena.

Characteristics

The main characteristic of the zebra dove is its small body size with a long brownish-gray tail with black and white stripes. The sound is soft and tends to be staccato.

Many zebra doves are caught to be kept by the community, especially because of their sound, so they are often included in various bird competitions in Indonesia. However, based on what the locals said, at the Set Patok Lake in Cirebon, zebra doves are often used as targets for shooting practice.