Every spring we wait in anticipation for the first purring call of the turtle dove. For many, it’s a sure sign that spring is here. However, over the years it has become harder and harder to hear the familiar turr turr call as numbers of turtle doves has continued to dwindle. The results of a […]
Continue readingTurtle Dove
Autumnal journeys of turtle doves
Dr John Mallord from the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science has been tracking turtle doves over the last few years to learn more about their migratory journeys. Here he describes the journeys the birds made on their southbound autumnal migration in 2019. All migrant birds face numerous challenges as they move between their breeding to […]
Continue readingReflecting on 2019
Thanks to dedicated research, we know that turtle doves are now far from the chilly UK. They have swapped the hedgerows and fields of the UK countryside for sub-Saharan Africa where you’ll find them in dense Acacia thickets where they roost and open grasslands and fields where the birds feed up. To find out more […]
Continue readingInspired by turtle doves – art raising funds for special bird
Turtle doves have long been part of our culture. Most people will know them from the Christmas carol, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, but they also feature in poetry, pop songs and paintings. With their beautiful plumage and patterns, turtle doves continue to inspire artists to this day. Richard Baines of the North Yorkshire Turtle […]
Continue readingMaking progress with turtle dove conservation in 2019
As turtle doves prepare for their long journey south for the winter, we’re celebrating the hard work that has gone on this year into making sure that these birds have places to feed, drink and nest during their time here in the UK. People from south-east England, East Anglia and North Yorkshire have come together […]
Continue readingLooking out for turtle doves in France
Turtle doves are now back on their breeding grounds in East Anglia and south-east England, feeding up and raising their chicks. Earlier this spring though, they crossed agricultural land, desert and seas in their travels. One site in France is renowned for being a great place to witness turtle dove migration in action. Jeremy Dupuy […]
Continue readingHinterland – Garden
In the final instalment of Jonny Rankin’s series on ‘hinterland’ habitats for turtle doves, he celebrates the garden. Having celebrated scrub and quarry, the last of my hinterland habitats is garden. As a loud and proud turtle dove advocate, I occasionally receive invitations to see turtle doves on people’s land, sometimes even in gardens. On this […]
Continue readingHinterland – Scrub
In the first of three blogs about turtle dove habitats, Jonny Rankin celebrates scrub and potentially one of his bird watching highlights of the year. My first turtle dove of the year was adjacent to a beautiful cottage – a cottage deep in thick cover in a section of treed scrub on the forest edge […]
Continue readingA year in the life of… a turtle dove
Dr Susana Requena from the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science explains how new satellite tracking technology is giving us an insight into the life of the turtle dove. Tracking and mapping With continuing advances in tracking technology, our capacity to track birds keeps breaking new barriers. One species that has benefited from smaller tags and […]
Continue readingScrubUpBritain
Twitter: @ScrubUpBritain Christopher Bridge, Rob Duncan and James Booty Turtle Doves have declined by 94% in the UK since 1995 and Nightingale by 53%. The ScrubUpBritain group feel that a national focus on the required breeding habitat of dense scrub thickets is now necessary in order to help reverse these shocking declines. We would love […]
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