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Red-eyed dove chicks
Two red-eyed dove chicks in a nest. The flimsy, poorly constructed nest of twigs is characteristic of the red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata). Red-eyed doves are found in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. They are herbivores, eating seeds and fruits. The females lay clutches of two eggs, which are incubated by both parents. Both sexes are able to produce 'crop milk', which is fed to the young. The crop is a muscular pouch that is part of the digestive tract, and used to store food temporarily. A sloughing of its fluid-filled cells produces a very nutritious 'milk'. Photographed in Mossel Bay, South Africa.
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