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Just two Turtle Doves feature in the Twelve Days of Christmas, but we know we can do better than that! Between 2 and 9 December, we had the Big Give’s Christmas Challenge which doubled donations and raised a fantastic £90,493 for Operation Turtle Dove. A huge thank you to everyone that contributed! But that’s not the end of it – you can still donate to support our work through the RSPB’s Winter Appeal.
Turtle Doves are our only long-distance migratory dove which means that whilst we’re singing “Two Turtle Doves and a partridge in a pear tree”, they’re sunning themselves in West Africa – but they need us to prepare for their return.
A story of hope
In as little as two generations, Turtle Doves have completely slipped from our memories. Our grandparents may remember their purring call on spring days, but for everyone else, they’ve largely fallen silent, until now. Between 1967 and 2023, the Turtle Dove has seen a 99% decline in the UK breeding population.
But they’re incredible comeback kids. Thanks to our work with partners, an adaptive hunting management system has been in place in Portugal, Spain and France since 2021. In just the first three years since this was put in place, the western European breeding population of Turtle Doves has increased by over 30%. How’s that for a Christmas miracle?
Making the UK Turtle Dove Ready
In spring, Turtle Doves fly thousands of miles to reach us, and they overcome incredible odds to get here. Their migration route involves navigating the Sahara Desert and flying up through Spain, Portugal and France. Once they’re in the UK, Turtle Doves need seed food to eat and suitable places to nest, if they hope to survive.
Your donation will go direct to Operation Turtle Dove: partners, farmers and landowners working together to make the UK Turtle Dove Ready. With your help, we provide the best places for them to feed, ponds and ditches for them to drink from, and scrub and hedgerows for nesting.
We know we can save Turtle Doves. Thank you very much for making a difference for Turtle Doves this winter.