A very common small dove without a black collar, Size Size: 22-24cm - slightly larger than a Thrush and smaller than a turtle dove.  Afr: Rooiborsduifie

A small pinkish coloured dove, the Laughing Dove has a short bill, which is slender and appears slightly bulbous at the end. The bill is black and the feet and legs are purplish-red.

The back is a cinnamon-brown colour and the wing feathers are blue-grey. The head, neck and underparts are grey, washed with pink and there is a patch of brown, spotted with black on the upper breast. This species of dove has no black half-collar and is quite slender compared to the turtle doves.

This is a very common dove, and it is found almost throughout the country. The only areas where it does not occur are true deserts and dense forests. It is usually seen singly, or in small groups, although larger flocks may gather when food is plentiful.

It lives almost entirely on seeds of grasses, sedges and ruderal weeds. It will also take termites and other insects.

The call is a bubbling phrase of 6-8 notes, reminiscent of soft laughter: Koo koo kuRUkutu-koo falling in pitch towards the end.

It nests all year round, although mainly in the dry season. The nest is a flimsy platform of sticks ant rootlets, placed in the fork of a tree.