MIGRATION: A FLIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
or thousands of years,
European Turtle-doves have
inspired humanity, serving
as symbols of love, fidelity
and new life. In Roman mythology, the
bird was sacred to Demeter, Goddess
of the harvest and fertility; in modern
days, in Cockney rhyming slang, the
words ‘turtle dove’ are used to mean
‘love’.
One of the main reasons the
European Turtle-dove Streptopelia
turtur is so well known may be because
it is so widespread. The dove’s breeding
grounds stretch across much of
Europe, from Portugal to Moscow, and
even into northern China. In the winter
though, it heads down to warmer
climes along the Sahel belt in Africa.
This journey is an arduous one, but
despite its diminutive size, the turtle-
dove is an excellent flyer. Travelling
mostly at night, the bird can reach
speeds of 60 km/h and fly distances of
up to 700 km without stopping.
Unfortunately, humanity has not
been treating the European Turtle-
dove with either love or fidelity over
the past few decades. Once abundant
throughout Europe and the Middle
East, numbers have plummeted
recently. In Europe alone, the dove’s
population has fallen by 62% since
1980. In European Russia, the species
has decreased by more than 90% since
1980. These decreases have led to the
species being classified as Vulnerable.
One of the reasons European Turtle-
dove numbers are dropping is due to
the intensification of agriculture. While
the doves use agricultural land to feed,
and nest in hedges and forestland, the
intensification of agriculture has led to
a decrease in hedges and scrubland,
and the use of chemicals is also
affecting the species.
Another reason numbers are
dropping is related to the incredible
F
EUROPEAN
TURTLE -DOVE
FACT FILE
WINGSPAN: 26-28 CM
TOP SPEED: 60 KM/H
THREATS: SHOOTING, HABITAT
LOSS
APR-JUN 2019 • BIRDLIFE
In mid-April, the European Turtle-dove
takes off from Africa’s Sahel belt. Flying
mostly at night, it reaches speeds
of 60 km/h and can cover 700 km
without stopping, travelling over the
Mediterranean to reach its breeding
grounds in northern Europe.
EUROPEAN
TURTLE-DOVE
MIGRATION
ROUTE
yearly journey the dove makes, as
they are often illegally killed during
migration. In addition, the research for
the development of the Species Action
Plan published in 2018 revealed that
on species’ western flyway the take by
legal hunting is currently unsustainable.
In Portugal, for example, where hunting
European Turtle-doves is legal during
autumn, the bird’s numbers have
dropped by 75% since 2004.
Across the Mediterranean in
countries where hunting the bird is
legal during a restricted period, there
are thought to be roughly 600,000
birds killed annually outside the legal
period. In Malta this year, for example,
the government considered lifting a
moratorium on hunting the European
Turtle-dove. While this was voted
down, the hunting season for quail
was extended through early April
– meaning it will overlap with peak
turtle-dove migration.
In a statement on Facebook, BirdLife
Malta said, “This means that despite
the fact that the moratorium on the
hunting of this vulnerable species
will not be lifted, hunters will still be
able to target the European Turtle
Dove and this year’s spring hunting
season - supposedly only for quail -
will only serve as a smokescreen for
hunters to illegally shoot the declining
turtle-dove.” Not a single person
was prosecuted for the illegal killing
of European Turtle-doves last year,
despite the fact that BirdLife Malta
provided police with footage of an
individual illegally shooting down a
European Turtle-dove.
Greece is one of the most dangerous
areas for the European Turtle-dove.
As the bird stops to rest on the Ionian
Islands, exhausted after a long journey,
gunshots ring out all around it. More
than 70,000 turtle-doves are thought
to be slaughtered there each spring,
making it one of the worst blackspots.
In response, the Hellenic
Ornithological Society (HOS, BirdLife in
Greece) is working tirelessly to ensure
the bird’s safety. They use satellite
tagging to closely study the migratory
journeys of the turtle-doves, and are
working on education campaigns to
raise awareness about the birds’ plight.
Humanity has made the European
Turtle-dove a symbol of love and
devotion. Our treatment of this bird
should reflect these values, and ensure
that it is around for years to come.
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