Turtle Doves Released in South Downs to Halt Extinction — SkimNews
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- South Downs National Park Authority released 30 turtle doves in the Selborne area of Hampshire this spring, part of what it called "urgent efforts" to restore the species, with a further 100 doves being prepared for another release next year.
- The turtle dove has seen UK numbers plummet 98% between the late 1960s and 2023, making it the country's fastest-declining bird species according to the RSPB and earning it a place on the Birds of Conservation Concern's red list.
- Park ranger Paul Bushell said one of the released females returned to the enclosure to lay eggs — a development he called "incredibly encouraging" — while another 100 doves are being prepared for a second release in 2026.
- The released birds are expected to fly roughly 3,000 miles to overwintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa over autumn, with the authority hoping they return to the South Downs in Spring 2027.
- The authority planted "weedy" wildflowers including fumitory and vetch for feeding and restored seven ponds for drinking and bathing near nesting sites to give the released population a foothold.
- Bushell noted the turtle dove is Europe's only migratory dove, framing the releases as an attempt to create a "new and much-needed South Downs stronghold" for a bird now "far too rare for such a Christmas gift."
Why it matters: The turtle dove sits on the Birds of Conservation Concern red list — the highest risk category before UK extinction — and the 98% decline since the late 1960s means every released bird matters numerically. Staging 30 birds now and 100 more in 2026 is the kind of active intervention reserved for species that cannot recover unaided, and the scheme's success will be measured by whether the doves complete the 3,000-mile round trip to sub-Saharan Africa and return to nest.
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