European Turtle Dove
Habitat or Species Feature, April 2022
UK Conservation Status: RED
Last year a solitary male turtle dove spent the summer calling from the roof tops of Croft Close, sadly no female came to join him. Over in Impington another calling male appeared to have had more success although no young birds were seen to confirm this.
The name ‘turtle’ has nothing to do with the reptile, but comes from its Latin name (Streptopelia turtur) which sounds very like the bird’s purring “turr turr turr” song.
Latest – 12th April 2022 – he is back!
This is one of the earliest sightings anywhere in England. Let’s hope that by rushing back so early he is in a good position to attract a passing female to join him.
The turtle dove has featured in English literature and song since medieval times as a symbol of love and fidelity. The giving of two turtle doves on the second day in the familiar ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ shows this.
The only migratory dove in Europe, turtle doves winter in west Africa. They typically arrive in England mid-April to mid-May, and leave again sometime between mid-July to late September.
RSPB tracking studies highlight the migratory routes taken by turtle doves
Each makes an astonishing return journey of some 11,000 km including crossing the Sahara to reach the wintering area, particularly in Mali and Senegal. From tracking studies we now know that this takes about a month with the birds covering around 500-700 km per night. Tracking confirms that they return to the same site in the UK.
Each year the turtle doves spend about two months on migration and six months in Africa over winter compared to just four months in England. So they are not here at Christmas!
They need to get down to breeding soon after arrival; here the first clutches are laid by the first week of June. These may be followed by a second and sometimes even a third breeding attempt. So from mid-April you should listen out for the distinctive call as the turtle doves set up territories and find a partner.
The turtle dove is in trouble as shown by its RED listing. It has lost three-quarters of its population and a quarter of its range in the last three decades – for many of us that is within our lifetime.
There are four main factors implicated in the decline of turtle doves: the loss of suitable habitat in both the breeding and non-breeding areas, unsustainable levels of hunting on migration, and disease. Studies show that it is loss of habitat and food sources during breeding that is the main problem.
Most turtle doves nest in mature, dense hedgerows and scrub, typically composed of thorny shrub species such as hawthorn and blackthorn. They prefer areas that have further additional cover provided by climbing plants such as wild rose, wild clematis, bramble and honeysuckle.
Turtle doves feed almost entirely on seeds. Historically, their diet included plant species found in arable areas such as stitchwort, fumitory and knotgrass. Turtle doves feed on the ground, taking seeds from areas of short vegetation and bare ground such as fallow areas and farm tracks. They will avoid tall, dense vegetation, even if it does contain suitable seed food. Seed spills in farmyards and game / livestock / wild bird feeding areas are also used.
A recent RSPB study found that turtle dove territories were more likely to be retained in areas with more nesting and foraging habitat, and with more standing water. They also like trees with dead branches at the top from which to make the most impact with their loud purring calls. The Croft Close male favours TV aerials and chimney pots overlooking the Set Aside for the same reason.
I live in Arbury and until last year I’d assumed I’d never see a turtle dove. I know turtle doves have declined by 93% since the 1970s and suffer all kind of threats on migration including loss of habitat, lack of breeding grounds, and unsustainable hunting. These facts combined mean I’m statistically much more likely to hear the purr of a local teenager on a moped than the purr of a turtle dove. I’d accepted that the closest I’d ever get to experiencing a turtle dove is singing ‘Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree’ at Christmas.
Everything changed last year, when I’d been told a turtle dove was being seen each day at Abbey Fields. So, one evening in May I got on my bike to take a look fully expecting not to see it. But I didn’t need to worry. Within minutes of arriving, I heard the call familiar to me only through audio recordings. ‘Prrrrr. Prrrr.’ It was very much real – and then flew on to a nearby rooftop. Unmistakable.
I thought that would be the last I’d see of it, but then it flew into the road very close by, hanging around for a good few minutes. Smaller and daintier than a pigeon, I marvelled at the incredible route it had taken – from Sub-Saharan Africa through Morocco, Spain and France, to this residential area of Histon – and had survived all the risks on the way.
I then took a walk around the Croft Close Nature Reserve and marvelled at the mosaic of habitats, from its ponds, to the thick bramble, open areas and magnificent oak. So thank you, Abbey Fields, for being an asset to the local community and for giving this Arbury resident a lifetime’s first – the view of a turtle dove that I’d assumed I’d never get to see. Of course, I’ll be back on my bike again this year, to take another look.
Caroline Mead
Croft Close Nature Reserve, with its current mix of scrub and open grassy areas with a large pond is perfect habitat. One might say that perhaps a few years ago it was even better, since there has been continued tree growth and spread which could, unchecked, result in this area no longer meeting the needs of this endangered species.
To find out more about the turtle dove the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have a useful guide BTO BirdFacts | Turtle Dove .
The collared dove could be confused with the turtle dove on sight, but their songs and calls are quite different. The collared dove these days is a common resident of the villages and can be seen at any time of the year. This video from the BTO will help you identify both these doves and successfully tell them apart Identifying Collared Dove & Turtle Dove | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology
The RSPB suggest we think of turtle doves as a ‘flagship’ species – by helping them we help a whole ecosystem threatened by intensive farming practices. Nightingales, grey partridges, yellowhammers, bullfinches, many warblers, bats, dormice, butterflies, bees, and rare arable plants can all benefit from the same land management that helps turtle doves.
Operation Turtle Dove has a website dedicated to all things turtle dove, including what is currently being done to enhance habitat here and to protect the birds on migration and when they are in Africa. Look up https://www.operationturtledove.org/nature-enthusiasts/ for some tips on what you can do to help.