Wildlife Welfare

Wild Turtle Dove Recovery Programme

Turtle doves are the UK's most rapidly declining migratory bird, requiring coordinated conservation spanning breeding grounds, migration routes, and African wintering areas.

Key Facts

UK turtle dove population has declined by 98% since the 1970s
The species has been lost from most of England and is confined to eastern counties
Loss of seed-rich feeding habitat and hunting on migration routes are primary causes
Operation Turtle Dove coordinates research and habitat management across the range
Hunting in southern Europe kills hundreds of thousands of turtle doves annually

Welfare Considerations

Turtle dove welfare is threatened at multiple points across their annual cycle by food scarcity in breeding areas, hunting mortality on migration, and habitat loss on wintering grounds. Coordinated conservation addressing all these factors is needed to prevent this species' extinction from the UK.

What You Can Do

Support Operation Turtle Dove and the RSPB's recovery programme
Create habitat for turtle doves by growing seed-bearing plants in field margins
Advocate for stronger enforcement against illegal turtle dove hunting in southern Europe