There are signs of hope for the turtle dove, one of the most endangered birds that has been plummeting towards extinction in Britain.
After a temporary ban on the annual shoot of the migratory birds as they pass through France, Spain and Portugal, which began in 2021, there has been a remarkable 25% increase in its western European population, which includes the 2,000 individuals clinging on in England.
This means an extra 400,000 breeding pairs across western Europe for a species that has reduced in number in the UK by 98% over the last 30 years.
The official figures for 2024 show Britain’s turtle dove population still declining, by 15% compared with 2023, with poor early summer weather likely to be a factor in that fall.
But with conservation efforts redoubling to save the much-loved bird, which is immortalised in poetry as well as Christmas song, some sites have seen promising increases.
Operation Turtle Dove, a partnership between farmers, landowners and the RSPB, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and other conservation groups, now has a record 442 farms and land holdings working to provide suitable conditions for the birds to successfully fledge more chicks.
To breed successfully, the birds need plentiful supplies of wild seeds, which were once supplied by less intensive farming systems. They also require thick scrub to nest in safely away from predators and close to sources of water, such as farm ponds.
Operation Turtle Dove has provided more than 20 tonnes of specialist turtle dove seed to farmers and land managers this year. In Essex, the number of supplementary feeding sites has risen from 70 to 90 this summer.
Conservationists hope that because the turtle doves on the western flyway – migrating from their west African wintering grounds through France, Spain and Portugal – are better protected, more individuals will start to reach England next year, where they should find more favourable conditions to thrive.
“We’ve got that flyway bounce-back and we want farmers to help us be turtle dove ready,” said Mark Nowers, the RSPB’s turtle dove conservation adviser in Essex. “It’s good to see, anecdotally, numbers going up in core areas. It feels to me that a corner is just starting to be turned.”
The rewilded estate of Knepp in West Sussex shows how the species can bounce back, particularly if the birds are provided with good nesting sites. In 1999, before the rewilding began, there were just three singing males on the 1,400-hectare (3,500-acre) estate. With burgeoning sallow and blackthorn thickets on a 450-hectare section of the rewilded estate, 20 singing males were recorded in 2021 and 21 this year alongside multiple sightings of juveniles, proving the birds bred successfully. Each male singer is likely to represent a territory.
Mike Shurmer, the head of species for RSPB England, said: “The combined efforts of the landowners and communities we work with to help save the turtle dove is truly heartening. The record number of dedicated farmers and volunteers involved ensures we can continue to support the UK population of this iconic species, and we see more and more of these heroes rewarded with the purring song of the turtle dove returning to their land as a result of the great work they have done.”
He added: “There is real optimism that effective conservation at scale across the turtle dove’s migratory route, combined with our efforts in the UK, will soon see a positive impact for turtle doves. The future now looks a lot brighter for these special birds, and we hope to see the results of the dedicated efforts of farmers, landowners and volunteers when we carry out the next national turtle dove survey.”
This article by Patrick Barkham was first published by The Guardian on 1 January 2025. Lead Image: A captive turtle dove preening in Pensthorpe, Norfolk. Official 2024 figures show Britain’s population was still in decline. Photograph: Tim Plowden/Alamy.
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