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Very pale beige color, the Ringed Turtle Dove is smaller and slimmer than the rock dove or domestic pigeon. It has a small head and short neck with narrow black semi-collar on the hind neck. The tail is moderately long and rounded with white at the comers. The body under-parts are usually creamy and much lighter than upper parts.
The Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)1 has decreased over the past decades in Europe (Figure 1). The Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) assessed the trend of the species as undergoing a ‘moderate decline’, which means a significant decline, but not significantly more than 5% per year (PECMBS, 2019).
Part 6a – CARING FOR BARBARY (RINGNECK) DOVES. Text and photos: Hein van Grouw. The Barbary (Ringneck) Dove is an easy bird to keep so there are no strict guidelines for caring and breeding them. That’s why I will mention only some general points on this subject. HOUSING.
The Turtle Dove is a migratory bird that winters in West Africa and returns to Europe in spring to breed. Turtle Dove numbers have declined dramatically in the UK and elsewhere across their European breeding range. However, we now know the key problems Turtle Doves have faced and we know what conservation actions are needed to address these.
With the issue of unsustainable hunting on the Turtle Dove’s migratory flyway in western Europe being addressed, providing good quality habitat for UK breeding Turtle Doves is now a priority. As a farmer or land manager, you can help by following this guidance to ensure you are ‘Turtle Dove Ready’.
Download Helping your local Turtle Doves PDF for a handy guide that outlines how you can provide turtle doves with the habitats they need in the UK. Turtle Doves feed almost entirely on the ground on the seeds of low growing annual or perennial plants.
Ringed turtle-doves will also care for other species of doves. Females have been used to rear mourning dove, Zenaida macroura , chicks (Pappas, personal observation). Key Reproductive Features
