How to Tell Male and Female Turtle Doves Apart? A Few Simple Methods to Identify Them

To tell male and female turtle doves apart, you can look at the tail, listen to the call, and feel the keel bone, feel the keel bone. Male turtle doves have a louder call, while females are softer; a short keel bone basically means a female turtle dove, while a long one means a male.

How to Tell Male and Female Turtle Doves Apart

1. Tail method: male birds have a V-shaped notch at the tail, and the lines at both ends of the tail are straight and upright; female birds have an oval shape at both ends of the tail, with smooth, rounded lines! But because captured turtle doves often have lost tail feathers, or turtle doves lose tail feathers from fighting in the wild, it is easy to misjudge, so this method is not reliable!

2. Vent method: mainly by feeling the width of the pelvic bones (between the two cartilages below the vent of the turtle dove). Wide means female, narrow means male. Generally, a male bird's opening is no wider than a thumb, and the two cartilages are clearly pointed; a female bird's opening is one thumb-width or more, and the two cartilages are slightly rounded! But because turtle doves get easily frightened and tense when caught, the vent area tightens up, making the width hard to tell! Beginners find it even harder to master! It is also hard to distinguish in young female birds that have not yet laid eggs! This method requires long-term practical experience!

3. Call method: generally, male birds have a louder, rougher call, and female birds have a soft, thin call, but this is not absolute! Quite a few female birds also have rough calls! And some male birds have thin, drawn-out voices! So you have to listen to how it sings!

4. Keel bone method: distinguish male from female by the length and shape of the keel bone! Because male and female birds differ physiologically, the length of the keel bone and the shape of its tip also differ. A short keel bone means a female bird, and a long keel bone means a male bird. Veteran experts rely on these differences to distinguish male and female turtle doves, with very high accuracy. Mistakes are almost zero. But beginners find it hard to master.