Turtle Dove Welfare and UK Recovery Efforts in 2025

The turtle dove has declined by 96% in the UK since 1994 and now breeds only in eastern England. Operation Turtle Dove is driving an evidence-based recovery programme.

Key Facts

UK turtle dove breeding population fell from 125,000 pairs in 1994 to under 3,000 pairs by 2024
They require seed-rich habitats for feeding — fumitory, chickweed and other arable weeds
Turtle doves are shot in large numbers during migration through Malta, Cyprus and France
Operation Turtle Dove is a partnership programme providing habitat and legal advocacy
Climate change has altered the timing of weed seed availability relative to arrival and breeding

Welfare Considerations

Turtle dove welfare in the UK is shaped by multiple concurrent threats — loss of seed-rich arable habitats, shooting pressure along the Mediterranean flyway, and climate-driven changes to food availability timing. Operation Turtle Dove's partnership approach — working with farmers to create supplementary feeding plots and restore arable weed communities — addresses the UK component of the welfare crisis. Simultaneously, BirdLife Malta and partners are reducing illegal shooting on migratory routes.

What You Can Do

Support Operation Turtle Dove through RSPB donations and farm habitat creation advocacy
Back BirdLife Malta campaigns against illegal shooting along the Mediterranean flyway
Grow annual wildflowers (fumitory, chickweed) in garden beds accessible to farmland birds
Report turtle dove sightings immediately to RSPB to contribute population monitoring
Advocate for EU enforcement of legal shooting seasons and bag limits for turtle doves