Turtle Dove Farmland Decline and Welfare

The turtle dove is Britain's fastest declining migratory bird, with populations falling over 95% since the 1970s due to food shortage, hunting and habitat loss.

Key Facts

Turtle dove populations in the UK have fallen by over 95% since the 1970s
They are migratory, wintering in the Sahel region of West Africa
Food shortage from loss of arable weeds (their primary seed source) drives UK breeding failure
Turtle doves are legally shot on migration across parts of southern Europe, primarily Malta and France
Operation Turtle Dove and the RSPB's supplementary feeding programme help breeding pairs in the UK
Climate change in the Sahel reduces food availability on wintering grounds

Welfare Considerations

Turtle dove decline involves welfare harms at multiple stages of the annual cycle. In the UK, food scarcity causes breeding failure and poor body condition. On migration, legal hunting in Malta and France kills birds that have already survived the hazardous Sahara crossing. Drought in the Sahel causes starvation on wintering grounds. Conserving turtle doves requires coordinated action across the entire flyway - UK breeding habitat improvement, hunting moratoriums in Europe, and Sahel habitat support. Supplementary feeding of seeds on UK farms provides direct welfare benefit to surviving birds.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB's Operation Turtle Dove with donations or reporting sightings
Advocate for hunting moratoriums for turtle doves across EU and European countries
Grow mixes including fumitory and other arable weeds to provide food on farmland or large gardens
Contact your MP and MEPs about EU-level turtle dove hunting suspension
Support BirdLife International's work on turtle dove conservation across the flyway