Also known as: Common Turtle-dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Turtle-dove, Turtle Dove
European Turtle Doves, known sometimes as just Turtle Doves, are a species of dove native to much of Europe, parts of Asia and northern Africa. These small doves are migratory, breeding in the northern part of their range and moving south for the winter.
Turtle Doves are brownish, with a black-and-white stripe patch on the side of the head. The wings are a warm brown color, speckled with black. They have black bills and a red rim around their eyes.
The Turtle Dove is featured in the Christmas song The Twelve Days of Christmas, as the second item on the list of gifts given by my true love.
From IUCN Red List: The European Turtle Dove is listed as Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2015 by BirdLife International. This species has been uplisted to Vulnerable. It has undergone rapid declines in much of its European range whilst in Russia and Central Asia it is thought to have experience more severe declines. Declines are thought to be driven by a number of factors including loss of foraging and nesting sites as well as disease and hunting along its migration.
On the second day of Birdorable, my true love gave to me ... 2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Our 12 Days of Birdorable continues today with Two ... more
Best wishes for a very merry Christmas from Birdorable! This fun infographic spells out the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas using cute Birdorable birds! It begins with our Red-legged Partridge ... more
