The European Turtle Dove is a small, delicately marked dove and the only long-distance migratory dove to breed across much of Europe. Slimmer and more richly coloured than the familiar collared and wood pigeons, it is best known for its gentle, rolling purr, a sound long associated with warm summer days in farmland and woodland edge. Each autumn it undertakes a demanding migration across the Sahara to winter in the semi-arid belt of sub-Saharan Africa.
Once abundant, the species has suffered one of the sharpest declines of any European bird, with populations falling by around three quarters since the 1980s. Agricultural intensification, loss of the weedy field margins it feeds on, disease and hunting along migration routes have all contributed. It is now classed as Vulnerable, and its fading song has become a symbol of the wider crisis facing farmland wildlife.
A neat, small dove, the European Turtle Dove is warmer and more patterned than its relatives. Look for the orange-brown, scaly-looking wings, the pinkish breast and the diagnostic striped neck patch of black and white on the sides of the neck. In flight the black tail with a white tip is distinctive.
| Size | Small, slim dove, 26-28 cm long with a 47-53 cm wingspan |
| Upperparts | Warm orange-brown wing feathers with dark centres giving a scaly, tortoiseshell look |
| Neck | Patch of black and white stripes on the sides of the neck |
| Underparts | Pinkish breast fading to whitish belly |
| Tail | Dark tail with a clean white terminal band, obvious in flight |
| Bare parts | Reddish eye-ring and legs, dark bill |
The song is a soft, deep, rolling purr, often written as turr turr turr, from which both the English and scientific names are drawn. It is a soothing, drowsy sound delivered from a perch, usually in warm weather, and carries a surprising distance on still days. The gentle purring is one of the classic sounds of the European summer and its loss from the countryside has been keenly felt.
It breeds across much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and western Asia, favouring open woodland, hedgerows, scrub, orchards and farmland with plenty of seeding plants. It is a summer visitor only, wintering in the Sahel and other semi-arid zones of sub-Saharan Africa and making a long, hazardous migration across the Sahara twice a year.
The European Turtle Dove feeds almost entirely on the seeds of wild plants, including many arable weeds such as fumitory, chickweed and clovers, gathered mainly from the ground. It will also take cultivated grains and some fruits. The modern scarcity of weedy, seed-rich field margins is thought to be a major factor in its decline, as birds struggle to find enough food to raise multiple broods.
Pairs build a flimsy platform of twigs in a hedge, bush or small tree. The female usually lays two white eggs, and both parents incubate for around two weeks before feeding the young on protein-rich crop milk. In a good season a pair may raise two or even three broods, but shortened breeding seasons and food shortages have cut productivity across much of the range.
- Eurasian Collared Dove: Plainer, greyer and larger, with a single black half-collar
- Laughing Dove: Small warm-toned dove but with a speckled breast and no striped neck patch
- Oriental Turtle Dove: Larger, darker Asian counterpart with similar neck striping
Is the European Turtle Dove the turtle dove of Christmas carols?
Yes. The turtle dove of the carol Twelve Days of Christmas is this species, long a symbol of devotion, even though the bird itself is a summer migrant absent from Europe in winter.
Why are turtle doves declining so fast?
The main causes are the loss of seed-rich farmland habitat, which reduces food and shortens the breeding season, along with disease and hunting on migration.
Where do European Turtle Doves spend the winter?
They migrate to the Sahel and other semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, crossing the Sahara on the way.
How can you tell a turtle dove from a collared dove?
The turtle dove is smaller and more colourful, with orange-brown scaly wings and a striped neck patch, while the collared dove is plain pale grey-brown with a single black neck collar.