Hundreds of turtle doves are being released across England this summer as conservationists race to prevent the species from disappearing entirely.

Turtle doves, known for their soft, purring call and lifelong pair bonds, are the fastest-declining bird species in England. Their population has plummeted by 98% since the 1970s, with only around 2,000 pairs remaining. The dramatic fall is due to the loss of their scrubland habitats and the continued shooting of the birds along their migratory route through Europe.

Now, their gentle coo can once again be heard in areas such as Somerset, Exeter, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, thanks to an ambitious project aiming to breed and release hundreds of the birds into the wild.

King Charles has lent his support by allowing the Turtle Dove Trust to build an aviary on the Sandringham estate. Around 200 doves are now being bred on his land, which features the mix of coppiced woodland, meadows, ponds and waterways that makes it an ideal turtle dove habitat, rich in natural food sources.

Conservationist and financier Ben Goldsmith is also backing the project, releasing 200 birds on his farm in Somerset this year in collaboration with the trust.

“Where I am in Somerset, no turtle doves have been seen in living memory,” Goldsmith said. “None of my neighbours ever remember seeing turtle doves there. Now, all of our oak trees seem to have a pair of turtle doves purring away. It makes me supremely happy. It’s as if this sound was designed to calm the human soul.”

The doves came from breeders Trevor and Deborah Lay, who previously ran a successful business supplying swans, cranes and other birds across Europe. Following Brexit and the impact of bird flu, they were forced to stop exporting. Now, they are using their expertise to help save the turtle dove, breeding hundreds of chicks each year at their base in Suffolk.

Last year, they raised 800 young turtle doves, most of which were distributed to aviaries around the country for release.

Trevor Lay believes the birds still migrate to and from Africa and hopes this year’s releases will offer a chance to prove it.

“This year we fixed trackers on 20 birds so that hopefully this autumn we will be able to see the birds flying, migrating. They are nesting locally too. They have spread out around the area and we have had a lot of sightings reported of our birds on our website.”

Given the turtle dove’s steep decline, Lay says it’s essential to act quickly to breed and release more birds before they vanish completely from the English landscape.

“Farmers have been improving their land for turtle doves in the last decade, planting wildflowers and hedges. We are putting them back so everybody can see, hear and enjoy them again sooner and hopefully in their lifetimes and not in 50 or 100 years. We wanted to put something back.

“They are lovely little birds – they are beautiful – and this is something we can do to help them.”

If the birds being released continue to thrive, the programme could rapidly boost the national population.

Goldsmith has been delighted by their return to his farm.

“You find yourself outside on a summer’s day and all you hear is the purring of turtle doves singing to each other. They always move in pairs and take every opportunity to kiss and preen each other. I knew they were a symbol of love but now I really know why.”

Goldsmith hopes more people will have the opportunity to witness their beauty.

“Now I realise what we have lost – it’s a birthright that’s been robbed from us. I can’t believe I’d never heard them before and this was the sound our ancestors heard as the sound of summer in England. The bird is on the brink of disappearing so we need to roll the dice and have a go, and just get on and do it and release them.”

Lay wholeheartedly agrees.

“We have the advantage of doing it on a shoestring and getting on with it and not having to spend decades doing feasibility schemes like some larger nature organisations have to. The environment is so much better than it was 10, 20 years ago because of what farmers have been doing to improve their land for wildlife and nature. So we are putting that nature back.”

 

 

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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.