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classification

• Order: Columbiformes
• Family: Columbidés
• Genus: Streptopelia
• Species: turtur

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DescriptOr

• Linnaeus, 1758

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Biometrics

• Size: 29 cm
• Wingspan: 47 to 53 cm
• Weight: 150 to 225 g

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Distribution

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birdsong

It emits a soft, purring “rou-rr” coo, often repeated for long periods.

Find out more about this birdsong

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iucn conservation Status

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Partager

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IDENTIFICATION

In this small turtle-dove, the two sexes are identical. The head and cap are grey-blue, with the feathers on the back of the bonnet and nape often showing vague brown borders. The sides of the neck have white and black stripes in 3 or 4 rows. The scapulars, mantle and wing coverts are reddish-brown but with black feather centres, giving these parts a very scaly appearance. The long, rounded black tail is edged in white, apart from the central rectrices. The blue-grey wing feathers are particularly visible in flight. The neck and breast are pinkish grey. The belly and the rest of the underparts are whitish, lighter than those of the Turtle Dove. The yellow eye is surrounded by a red ring. The beak is dark and the legs pinkish.

Juveniles are duller and brown. The grey of the head and neck, and the purplish of the breast are replaced by dull brown. The pale reddish buff border is narrower on the scapulars, tertiary wing feathers and wing coverts. The black centre of the feathers is less distinct. All these features make the scaly appearance less obvious. The orbital circle is pink rather than red.

HABITAT

From late April to migration in September, turtle doves tend to be found in open landscapes dotted with trees, bushes, hedges and copses. They are often found in thickets bordering farmland, where they seek most of their food. Unlike the Wood Pigeon, the Turtle Dove is rarely found on city buildings. Following its more reserved nature, it prefers to remain in the shelter of medium-sized vegetation.

threat – protection

The species has declined significantly in France since the 1970s. There are two main reasons for this: it is heavily hunted when it visits Mediterranean regions. To this must be added the degradation of its habitat due to the destruction of hedges and the massive use of pesticides in agriculture.