The turtle dove is Britain's fastest declining bird, having lost 98 percent of its population since 1970, with intensive conservation efforts offering some hope of recovery.
Turtle dove welfare is threatened at every stage of the annual cycle. On UK breeding grounds, loss of arable weeds including fumitory that are the primary food source has reduced body condition of breeding adults. Nesting habitat loss through hedgerow removal and intensification reduces breeding success. On migration routes through France, Spain, and North Africa, illegal and legal hunting kills thousands of birds annually. On African wintering grounds, Sahel habitat change affects food availability. The multi-front nature of turtle dove decline makes welfare intervention across the full flyway necessary. UK farmer engagement through Countryside Stewardship to provide nesting scrub and weed-seed areas represents the most direct welfare intervention available domestically.