Populations of turtle dove are in rapid decline across Europe and this species has red list conservation status globally. In the United Kingdom its numbers have declined by 93% since 1994 and across Europe numbers fell by 78% 1980–2013.
Environmentalist groups have said that the decline of turtle doves in Europe is partly because changed farming practices mean that the weed seeds and shoots on which it feeds, especially fumitory, are scarcer, and partly due to shooting of birds in Mediterranean countries. According to a 2001 study cited by the European Commission, between two and four million birds are shot annually in Malta, Cyprus, France, Italy, Spain and Greece.Environmentalists have described spring hunting in Malta as particularly problematic as it is the only country with an EU derogation to shoot birds during their spring migration to breeding grounds.
According to a 2007 study by the European Commission, four currently identifiable potential threats to the turtle dove are habitat loss/modification (medium to low impact), droughts and climate change (mostly unknown but likely low impact), hunting (partly unknown but overall medium impact), and competition with the collared dove (unknown impact). The British Trust for Ornithology has also highlighted Trichomonosis parasite as a threat to the turtle dove.
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Adult European turtle doves have blue-grey heads, necks, flanks, and rumps, with cinnamon wings mottled with black. The breast is a vinaceous color, while the abdomen and under tail coverts are white. The bill is black, and the legs and eye rims are a striking red. Juveniles are browner and duller, lacking the neck patch, and have brown legs.
The turtle dove favors open woodlands over dense forests and is often found feeding on the ground. It can occasionally be seen nesting in large gardens but is generally very timid.
This migratory species has a range that spans the western Palearctic, including most of Europe and the Middle East, extending to Turkey and north Africa. It is a late migrant, arriving in Northern Europe no earlier than the end of April and departing for its wintering grounds south of the Sahara in September.
