European Turtle Dove

Description:

The European Turtle Dove is relatively small, measuring about 26-28 cm in length. It has a distinctive appearance with a pale, pinkish-grey breast, a scaled pattern on the neck featuring black and white marks, and a pale belly. The back is a warmer, golden-brown shade, and the tail is marked with a white and black pattern.

Habitat:

Here seen in peripherie of a small urban center, in dryland and in agricultural lands with mixed farming and patches of woodland. This species favors open woodlands, forest edges, hedgerows, and areas with scattered trees and shrubs. The European Turtle Dove breeds across Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. It is a migratory bird, spending the winter in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Notes:

The European Turtle Dove is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its numbers have seen a sharp decline due to habitat loss, hunting during migration, and changes in agricultural practices that affect food availability. Conservation efforts are being implemented across its range to address these challenges, focusing on habitat preservation, management, and regulations on hunting (often unfortunatelly unsuccessfully, as it is still massively hunted for sport??????????) to help stabilize and eventually increase the population levels.