Perhaps the most beautiful of our doves and pigeons, the Turtle Dove is a cherished sight in our landscape and one which has been celebrated in poetry and art since the time of Chaucer. With orange scalloped wings, rose-hued breast and black-and-white striped neck patch this is a distinctive bird. They have nothing to do with turtles themselves; the name comes from their repeated purring call which sounds like the French word – ‘Tourterelle’.
Turtle Dove – Henry Cook
This species migrates to Sahelian Africa in the autumn and doesn’t return until the following May, spending longer away from the UK than here. The migration is a perilous one and is made even harder by the risk of hunting around the Mediterranean along their journey. This, in combination with a few other causes such as agricultural intensification and habitat loss, has led to the Turtle Dove becoming the UK’s fastest-declining bird species with numbers down 98% since the 1970s. A national survey carried out in 2021 found that there were only around 2,100 territories left across the country.
Given this context we are pleased that Fen Drayton Lakes continues to provide a home for several Turtle Doves which have returned and are singing this year. The best places to see them are around Holywell or Far Fen where a scan of the treetops and listening out for the gentle call could help you find them. There have been up to six males in recent years, but it is very hard to tell if they have bred as they become tricky to see during the summer months. However, late last summer we were overjoyed to see young birds following their parents around, learning to feed for themselves.
As part of our reserve management to help the doves, we ensure there are thick hedges for the birds to nest in which are left undisturbed during the breeding season. They also need somewhere to feed such as wildflower-rich field margins that provide a profusion of seed. We supplement this with additional seed to give them a helping hand. The final requirement is somewhere to drink and the margins of the lakes provide lots of opportunities to quench their thirst.
As well as efforts on reserves, the RSPB also runs a partnership project called Operation Turtle Dove, with the aim to reverse the decline by assisting farmers and landowners with advice and support. The project is raising awareness of the plight of this lovely species so that generations of people in the future will be inspired by the special wildlife that chooses the UK as home.
--Henry Cook