Wildlife Guide · Europe & western Asia

Dove

Streptopelia turtur (Linnaeus, 1758)

A summer voice of European woodland — vanishing on its migration to Africa.

IUCN: Vulnerable

A European turtle dove with mottled golden-brown wings and a distinctive black-and-white striped patch on the neck, perched in a sunlit woodland.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — verify license before production

In brief

The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

Doves are gentle, ground-feeding pigeons of the family Columbidae, symbolising peace across cultures. The European turtle dove — named for its purring 'turr-turr' call — breeds in woodland and farmland from Britain to Central Asia, migrating to sub-Saharan Africa each winter. Once common across Europe, turtle dove populations have collapsed by roughly 80% since 1970. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the species faces habitat loss, hunting along migration routes and food shortages from agricultural intensification. Other doves, including the collared dove and stock dove, remain widespread, but the turtle dove's decline is one of Europe's most urgent farmland bird crises.

Vulnerable

IUCN Red List status (2021 assessment)

80%

Population decline in Europe since 1970

28 cm

Typical body length

Appendix II

CITES listing

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Streptopelia turtur, Operation Turtle Dove, BirdLife International — Data Zone .

Dove: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Dove
Length	26–28 cm
Diet	Weed seeds and cereal grain
Migration	Europe to sub-Saharan Africa
Song	Purging 'turr-turr' — gives species its name
European trend	Roughly 80% decline since 1970
CITES	Appendix II

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Dove
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Columbiformes
Family	Columbidae
Genus	Streptopelia
Species	Streptopelia turtur (Linnaeus, 1758)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Vulnerable (IUCN, 2021). Continuing decline across European breeding range.
Population: Roughly 3–7 million mature individuals globally; steep decline in Europe
Trend: Decreasing
Assessed: 2021
CITES: Appendix II

Key Facts: Dove

The European turtle dove is Vulnerable with an 80% decline in Europe since 1970.
Turtle doves migrate to sub-Saharan Africa each winter — up to 5,000 km.
Agricultural intensification removed weed seeds and fallow land they depend on.
Spring hunting in Mediterranean countries kills hundreds of thousands annually.
The collared dove expanded across Europe from the 1950s; turtle doves declined.
Operation Turtle Dove in the UK coordinates habitat restoration and hunting reform.

Doves of the columbid family

Columbidae includes roughly 350 species worldwide — from the massive crowned pigeons of New Guinea to the tiny ground doves of the tropics. European turtle doves are smaller and slimmer than feral pigeons, with warm brown plumage, black-and-white neck patches and a soft purring song that once filled English summers. Collared doves — a separate species that expanded explosively across Europe from the 1950s — are now far commoner in gardens. Stock doves nest in tree holes; woodpigeons dominate farmland. The turtle dove occupies a niche between these, feeding on weed seeds in open woodland and hedgerow margins. Doves share columbid traits: monogamous pair bonds, crop milk for squabs and a gentle temperament that made them cultural symbols of peace from ancient Rome to the modern United Nations.

Migration across two continents

Turtle doves are long-distance migrants. Birds breeding in Britain and Scandinavia cross the Mediterranean and Sahara to winter in the Sahel — Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. GPS tracking reveals journeys exceeding 5,000 km, with stopovers in Iberia and North Africa to refuel. Migration is perilous. Habitat loss in West African wintering grounds reduces food availability. Desert crossing demands fat reserves built during pre-migration feeding. Birds arriving thin in spring produce fewer young. The flyway connects European farmland policy with African land use — conservation must address both ends of the journey. Single-country protection cannot save a species that spends half the year on another continent.

Why turtle doves are disappearing

Three drivers explain the turtle dove collapse. Agricultural intensification removed weed seeds — fumitory, chickweed, clover — that formed the bulk of their diet. Herbicide use and autumn sowing of winter cereals eliminated stubbles and fallow fields where doves fed. Nest failure rose as hedgerows were removed and woodland understorey cleared. Spring hunting in France, Spain and Italy kills an estimated 2–4 million turtle doves annually during northward migration — a legal harvest that conservationists argue is unsustainable for a Vulnerable species. Illegal trapping adds further mortality. Disease — including trichomonosis, which also affects greenfinches — may contribute locally. The combined pressure has reduced the British population to fewer than 2,000 pairs from an estimated 125,000 in 1970.

Conservation action

The IUCN lists the European turtle dove as Vulnerable with a continuing decline across its breeding range. Operation Turtle Dove — a partnership of the RSPB, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and Natural England — creates nesting and feeding habitat on farms, promotes seed-rich margins and advocates for sustainable hunting limits. The European Commission has restricted turtle dove hunting seasons in several member states, though enforcement varies. African wintering-ground projects restore Sahelian woodland and reduce trapping. CITES Appendix II regulates international trade. Readers can support turtle doves by choosing food produced with wildlife-friendly farming, supporting organisations restoring hedgerows and advocating for sustainable flyway management.

Doves in culture and beyond

Doves appear in religious texts, political imagery and poetry as emblems of peace and fidelity. The turtle dove's melancholy song features in the Bible, Shakespeare and Stevie Nicks lyrics — a cultural presence that outlasts its fading call in modern farmland. Other dove species face distinct pressures. The Socorro dove of Mexico is Extinct in the Wild; the Grenada dove is Critically Endangered. The turtle dove's story is a warning that even familiar, beloved birds can vanish within a human lifetime. WARN publishes this dove guide as free public education. Farmland bird decline is a measure of ecosystem health — saving turtle doves means saving the seed-rich, hedgerow landscapes they represent.

What WARN Does

WARN publishes this dove guide as free public education. Migratory farmland birds like the turtle dove connect European agriculture with African habitat — a flyway conservation challenge that spans continents.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

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How does the dove compare?

Pigeon vs Dove →

How can I help save the dove?

There are three practical things that make a real difference for the dove — and the first is the one that funds everything else.

Fund frontline rescue

Back the partner-led teams, veterinary care and protection that reach doves where the need is greatest — WARN channels donations straight to that work.

Ease the pressures

Avoid the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buy wild animals as pets, and choose sustainable, habitat-friendly products — the threats behind the dove's decline fall when demand does.

Spread the word

Share accurate, sourced information about the dove. Wider awareness is what turns concern into lasting protection.

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Dove: Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help save the dove?

The most effective way to help the dove is to fund the frontline rescue and habitat protection that keeps the species alive — WARN channels donations to partner-led teams working where the need is greatest. You can also ease the pressures behind its decline by avoiding the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buying wild animals as pets, and choosing sustainable products, and by sharing accurate information to build wider support. See the ways to help below, or support WARN's Support Habitat Protection.

Are turtle doves endangered?

European turtle doves are Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated 80% population decline in Europe since 1970. They are not yet Endangered but the trend is deeply concerning.

What is the difference between a dove and a pigeon?

Doves and pigeons belong to the same family, Columbidae. 'Dove' usually refers to smaller species; 'pigeon' to larger ones — but the distinction is cultural, not scientific.

Why are turtle doves declining?

Habitat loss from agricultural intensification, loss of weed seeds and fallow land, spring hunting in Mediterranean countries and degradation of African wintering grounds.

Do turtle doves migrate?

Yes. European turtle doves migrate to sub-Saharan Africa each winter, travelling up to 5,000 km across the Mediterranean and Sahara.

What do turtle doves eat?

Weed seeds — fumitory, chickweed, clover and cereal grain — foraged on the ground in open woodland, hedgerows and farmland margins.

Where do doves live?

Doves live in Europe, western Asia, North Africa — winters in sub-Saharan Africa. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification.

Are doves dangerous?

Doves are not generally dangerous to people. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do doves live?

A precise wild lifespan for doves is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a dove?

A Dove is about 26–28 cm. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a Vulnerable migratory columbid of European woodland and farmland, declining by roughly 80% since 1970 due to habitat loss, hunting and agricultural intensification.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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