species may be used. Two to four pure white eggs are laid and both sexes participate in the incubation, which takes about two weeks. Chicks are fed regurgitated food by both parents and fledge after about 16 days. Several broods (up to five) may be raised in a single season. Subspecies There are six subspecies. They differ mainly in plumage shade, with those of dry regions being paler and greyer. Western Ethiopian and South Sudanese birds are sometimes separated from S. c. tropica as S. c. electa (Madarász, 1913). S. c. capicola – southwestern (winter rainfall) South Africa S. c. abunda Clancey, 1960 – central South Africa S. c. damarensis (Hartlaub & Finsch, 1870) – arid interior of southern Africa S. c. onguati Macdonald, 1957 – western Namibia and Angola S. c. tropica (Reichenow, 1902) – tropical and subtropical woodlands from South Africa to South Sudan S. c. somalica (Erlanger, 1905) – northern Tanzania to Somalia and Ethiopia Similar species A number of Streptopelia species are very similar in appearance, all having semi-collars and subdued plumage tones. The ring-necked dove is distinguished from its locally sympatric sister species, the African collared dove, by call, the paler bases of the tail feathers, and the grey rather than pink crown feathers. On appearance alone, it may also be confused with the Eurasian collared dove, vinaceous dove, red-eyed dove, red collared dove, African mourning dove or the Barbary dove, the last of these a popular cage bird with isolated feral populations. The red-eyed dove is generally similar, with an identical display flight. It, however, has dark wine red eyes and is larger and darker altogether, with a grey belly and grey tail tips. The African mourning dove has more grey about the head and pale yellow eyes. References External links Ring-necked dove – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Ring-necked dove, sound recordings, xeno-canto ring-necked dove Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa ring-necked dove