Turtle doves released in bid to stop extinction — SkimNews
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- South Downs National Park Authority released 30 turtle doves in the Selborne area of Hampshire this spring, with a further 100 birds being prepared for release next year.
- RSPB classifies the turtle dove as the UK's fastest-declining bird species, with numbers plummeting 98% between the late 1960s and 2023, according to park ranger Paul Bushell.
- The turtle dove is on the Birds of Conservation Concern's red list and is Europe's only migratory dove species, with released birds expected to fly 3,000 miles to sub-Saharan Africa for winter before potentially returning in spring 2027.
- Park rangers planted wildflowers including fumitory and vetch for feeding and restored seven ponds near nesting sites to encourage the birds to return next breeding season.
- One released female has already returned to the enclosure to lay eggs, which Bushell called "incredibly encouraging," adding that the 30 spring birds "seem really happy."
Why it matters: The turtle dove sits on the UK's red list after losing 98% of its population since the late 1960s, and the South Downs — one of its remaining strongholds — is now betting on captive-bred releases plus habitat restoration to reverse Europe's fastest-declining bird trend before the species vanishes from British skies entirely.
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