Turtle dove by Martin Staff 1/10
Turtle dove by Caroline Spinks 2/10
Turtle Dove by Martin Staff 3/10
Turtle dove by Lewis Lawes 4/10
Turtle dove by David Bryant 5/10
Turtle dove by David Ferre 6/10
Turtle dove by Les Bunyan 7/10
Turtle Dove by David Ferre 8/10
Turtle dove by Chris Thornton 9/10
Turtle dove by Geoff Tibbenham 10/10

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

The turtle dove is a distinctive bird, with orange-brown underparts, black and white barring on the neck, a white-tipped tale and a easily recognizable soft ‘purring’ song. Spot one between April and September before they make the long journey to Africa to escape the winter months.

Conservation status

Declining. Now on the red list of birds of conservation concern. In Britain populations have declined by three-quarters since 1976 with the estimated UK population dropping from 125,000 pairs to around 45,000 pairs.
Whilst turtle doves are protected in Britain, they are shot in huge numbers during migration, It is estimated that as many as 2 – 4 million turtle doves are shot and trapped as they pass through Europe.

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Details

Did you know?

Turtle doves have long been seen as a symbol of devoted love because of their strong pair bonds. There are references in the old and new testaments of the Bible as well as in literature, folksongs and folklore.

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