European Turtle Dove
Distribution and development
Habitat and food
Temporary fallow areas featuring arable flora and areas of open ground near known breeding sites increase food availability for the European Turtle Dove.
The European Turtle Dove nests in bushes or trees within structurally diverse landscapes.
The preferred habitats of the European Turtle Dove are characterised by a combination of open, cultivated areas for feeding and adjacent groups of trees and shrubs such as woodland, scrub or groves.
Temporary fallow areas featuring arable flora and areas of open ground near known breeding sites increase food availability for the European Turtle Dove.
The European Turtle Dove nests in bushes or trees within structurally diverse landscapes.
The preferred habitats of the European Turtle Dove are characterised by a combination of open, cultivated areas for feeding and adjacent groups of trees and shrubs such as woodland, scrub or groves.
European Turtle Dove
Birds of Switzerland
Project managers
The loss of semi-natural agricultural landscapes due to intensive agriculture is reducing the breeding and foraging habitats of the European Turtle Dove, and its breeding success is declining. It is also threatened by hunting and illegal shooting during migration.
- The main problem is the lack of accessible food near breeding sites. As a granivore, the European Turtle Dove requires large quantities of seeds during the breeding season, and these must be available close to the ground in open areas.
- Hunting pressure on the European Turtle Dove is high. Many populations pass through several European countries where hunting is common and which have long hunting seasons.
- Reliable figures on mortality due to illegal shooting are not usually available.
- Step up Switzerland-wide monitoring of populations.
- Use of audio lures significantly improves the identification of territories: up to three times as many European Turtle Doves are detected per visit using these. In Switzerland, too, this method is useful for improving the recording of territories – particularly where there is little singing activity by individual birds.
- Conserve habitats with seed-rich arable weeds accessible on the ground.
- Maintain open areas of ground for foraging.
- Conservation of open woodland, e.g. through forest grazing (bison projects).
- Create or maintain wetland landscape elements such as shallow-banked ponds.
- For measures to be targeted and effective, knowledge of their impact on habitat use, feeding behaviour and breeding success is required.
- Are Swiss populations self-sustaining? How much interaction is there between them?
- Downward population trends internationally and in Switzerland.
- Conservation of local populations requires extensive habitat improvement.
- Successful examples from England, the Netherlands and Germany show the effect of targeted measures.
- The temporary hunting ban in force in France, Spain and Portugal since 2021 is proving successful with significant recovery of populations in various countries. Continuation of the hunting moratorium is necessary.
Create temporary fallow areas containing annual plants near known breeding sites.
Structurally diverse landscapes with open cultivated areas for feeding, adjacent groups (woodland, scrub, groves) or lines (riparian woodland, hedges) of trees and shrubs and a nearby water source.
