Turtle Doves have been used as a symbol of love and devotion throughout history. Despite being most famous for their mention in the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ carol, these birds are a summer visitor and are only with us from mid-April to end of August. Each year, UK-breeding Turtle Doves travel up to 3,000 miles each way to and from West Africa.
Its iconic purring ‘turr turr’ call is where the ‘Turtle’ name came from.
Discover the five UK species and how they’ve been bred to live alongside people.
The Turtle Dove’s gentle purr is a sound of summer, but has become increasingly rare following rapid and sustained population declines. One cause of the decline is thought to be lack of seed and grain during the breeding season, resulting in a much shorter breeder season with fewer nesting attempts.
The Turtle Dove has been on the Red List in the UK since 1996, and is still there today. Red is the highest conservation priority, with species on this list needing urgent action. There have been huge efforts across the UK to save Turtle Doves, including Operation Turtle Dove, an RSPB-led project to work with farmers, landowners and communities to create nesting and feeding habitats for Turtle Doves across Southern and Eastern England.
In 2021, the Turtle Dove was RSPB England’s Bird of the Year, in honour of the fantastic work being done to help this at-risk species.
Take a closer look at Turtle Doves and celebrate the fantastic conservation work that is helping these now rare birds.
Compared to their more familiar relatives, Turtle Doves are shy – they’re usually found in trees and stands of scrub when not feeding on the ground.
This species has suffered severe declines, so they’re a trickier spot than other pigeons and doves. But they can still be seen in East Anglia (and small populations in North Yorkshire) where the RSPB is working with farmers to provide them with the food and the habitats they need to raise a brood.
Turtle doves are migratory, heading off to Africa in the winter. When they arrive in the UK in spring, they build nests in hedgerows and scrub. They prefer thorny species, such as hawthorn, and will often build nests among climbers, including honeysuckle.
They eat seeds and feed on the ground in weedy areas or in the short stubble after a harvest. Seeds including chickweed and oilseed rape, as well as cereal grains, are important food sources for Turtle Doves.