Release of turtle doves aims to revive 'sound of English summer'

Hundreds of turtle doves have been released across England this summer as conservationists race against the clock to save the species from local extinction.

- Helena Horton

The cooing doves, which mate for life, are the fastest declining bird species in the country. There are just 2,000 pairs left, a decline of 98% since the 1970s. This is because their habitats of scrubby areas have been destroyed, and thousands are shot on their migratory route across Europe.

But their distinctive purr can now be heard on estates in Somerset, Devon, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Norfolk as an audacious plan to breed and release hundreds of birds gets off the ground.

King Charles has become involved, allowing the Turtle Dove Trust to build an aviary on his Sandringham estate. He can enjoy the sight of 200 birds when he visits. The estate says it is ideal for the birds as it provides coppices, meadows, ponds and waterways as a suitable habitat as well as a food-rich landscape.

The conservationist and financier Ben Goldsmith has also been working with the trust to release 200 birds on his Somerset farm this year.