Zebra Doves are small pigeons from Southeastern Asia.  They are named for their bold stripes, which may help confuse predators.  As Zebra Doves take flight, their stripes make it difficult to see where one bird outline begins and another ends.  Their brown-grey back colour is for camouflage.  Zebra Dove feathers have one more useful function.  They have “powder down” feathers which disintegrate into powder that helps clean and waterproof the other feathers.  

 

Like other doves, their courtship involves the male bowing, cooing, and ruffling up his neck feathers.  Zebra Doves living in Hawaii make flimsy nests from grass and leaves, but Seychelle Zebra Doves make stronger nests.

 

Even though they are Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, they still face challenges from illegal trapping for the pet trade.