Upon sighting a pair of Zebra Doves, I recall and am taking the liberty to repost a lovely observation by Amar HSS of 9 Aug in the Wild Bird Club Facebook re the following:
Sexing in the Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata)
Kirwan et al. (2026) state that “sexes are similar in all plumages”. However, Gibbs et al. (2001) say that the adult female is “very similar to the male but the pinkish centre of the breast is narrower, barring extending further onto the breast”.
My personal observations, over many decades, favour the opinion of Gibbs et al. (2001). Whenever I have seen a courting or mating pair together, the features that Gibbs et al. (2001) state are sufficiently present to differentiate the sexes. Whether this is a breeding plumage change is uncertain.
Here is a composite image of a pair I saw courting this morning, so I was sure of the male and female. The male is on the left in the image. Note that in the female (right) the barring extends further onto the centre of the breast, whereas in the male (left) the pinkish centre of the breast is broader, extends further down and is richer in colour.
I believe we can differentiate sexes, at least when courting / mating.
References
1. Kirwan GM, Baptista LF, Trail PW, Horblit HM, Pyle P, Hansasuta C & Boesman PFD. (2026). Zebra Dove Geopelia striata, version 1.1. In Birds of the World (M. G. Smith, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
2. Gibbs D, Barnes E, & Cox J. (2001). Pigeons and doves: A guide to the pigeons and doves of the world. Pica Press.
Without the benefit of a mating ritual, the closest comparison in my images would be to say the male is on the left notwithstanding the lighting.
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