Conservation efforts starting to pay off for migrating turtle doves

There are signs of hope for the turtle dove, one of the most endangered birds that has been plummeting towards extinction in Britain.

- Patrick Barkham

After a temporary ban on the annual shoot of the migratory birds as they pass through France, Spain and Portugal, which began in 2021, there has been a remarkable 25% increase in its western European population, which includes the 2,000 individuals clinging on in England.

This means an extra 400,000 breeding pairs across western Europe for a species that has reduced in number in the UK by 98% over the last 30 years. The official figures for 2024 show Britain's turtle dove population still declining, by 15% compared with 2023, with poor early summer weather likely a factor in that fall.

But with conservation efforts redoubling to save the much-loved bird, which is immortalised in poetry as well as Christmas song, some sites have seen promising increases.