The red collared dove was formally described by the French naturalist Johann Hermann in 1804 and given the binomial name Columba tranquebarica.

[2][3] The red turtle dove is now placed in the genus Streptopelia that was introduced in 1855 by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte.

[6] Two subspecies are recognised:[5] The red collared dove is a relatively small species, with a length of 20.5–23 cm (8.1–9.1 in) and a weight of around 104 g (3.7 oz).

[7] The male has a bluish head and light red-brown body with a black ring round its neck, while the female is similar but pinkish all over.

It prefers better-wooded tracts such as canal or roadside tree plantations and avoids extensive desert regions.