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Turtle doves

©Luke Massey/2020VISION

Turtle dove

©Gary Huston

Turtle dove

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Scientific name: Streptopelia turtur
The turtle dove is the UK's fastest declining bird species and is on the brink of extinction. A small and pretty pigeon, it breeds in lowland England and winters in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Top facts

Category

Stats

Length: 26-28cm
Wingspan: 50cm
Weight: 140g
Average lifespan: 2 years

Conservation status

Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Listed as Vulnerable on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

When to see

April to September

About

The turtle dove is a small pigeon, just a little bit smaller than collared dove. It breeds in woodlands, orchards and well-wooded parks, mainly in the warmer, drier south and east of the UK. Adults feed on cereal and wildflower seeds, but feed their young 'pigeon milk' - a regurgitated, milky substance from a food-storage organ called a 'crop'.

What to look for

Much more colourful than the collared dove, the turtle dove has an orangey-brown and black patterned back, a blue-grey head, pink chest and three or four black and white stripes forming a patch on the side of the neck. It has a purring 'turrr turrr turr' song (hence its Latin name, Streptopelia turtur), compared to the familiar 'hoo hoooo-hoo' of the collared dove.

Where to find

Mainly found in south and east England and the lowlands of Wales.

Did you know?

Turtle doves are summer visitors, spending the winter in Sub-Saharan Africa and migrating more than 5,000 km to get there. They undertake a perilous journey - huge numbers are shot as they pass through France, Spain and Morocco, and also when they reach their wintering grounds in Senegal.

Watch

Turtle Dove by John Bridges