- d ove ) ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁species ▁C . ▁simple x ▁( or ▁A . ▁simple x ), ▁others ▁as ▁sub species ▁of ▁C . ▁lar v ata . ▁In ▁the ▁latter ▁case , ▁the ▁species ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁may ▁be ▁called ▁simply ▁le mon - d ove , ▁and ▁if ▁Ap lop elia ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁valid ▁genus ▁it ▁would ▁then ▁be ▁monot yp ic . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁The ▁le mon ▁dove ▁is ▁fairly ▁small , ▁meas uring ▁ ▁in ▁length ▁and ▁we igh ing ▁. ▁Ad ult ▁males ▁have ▁a ▁pl um age ▁that ▁is ▁dark ▁brown ▁above , ▁gl oss ed ▁green ▁on ▁sides ▁of ▁neck , ▁and ▁c inn am on ▁brown ▁below . ▁As ▁noted , ▁they ▁have ▁consp ic uous ▁white ▁face ▁mark ings . ▁The ▁feet , ▁ir is ▁and ▁orb ital ▁skin ▁are ▁red , ▁the ▁bill ▁is ▁black . ▁Fem ales ▁and ▁young ▁males ▁are ▁generally ▁similar , ▁with ▁a ▁l ighter ▁brown ▁pl um age ▁and ▁d ull ▁grey ▁fa cial ▁mark ings . ▁The ▁males ▁of ▁western ▁African ▁sub species ▁have ▁a ▁dark ▁grey ▁pl um age . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁The ▁le mon ▁dove ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁wide ▁range ▁and ▁is ▁distributed ▁in ▁mont ane ▁for ests ▁in ▁sub - S ah aran ▁Africa , ▁r anging ▁for ▁example ▁from ▁some ▁ ▁AS L ▁in ▁eastern ▁Africa . ▁The ▁di et ▁consists ▁mainly ▁of ▁various ▁small ▁f ruits , ▁se eds , ▁m oll us cs ▁and ▁insect s .