On the second day of Christmas…
December 14, 2015
On the second day of Christmas, the South Downs National Park is sharing with us the story of the turtle dove.
Delicate and dainty, the turtle dove is increasingly rare due to a lack of seeds and grains in the breeding season, making them less likely to try to build nests and raise young. Its gentle purr was once the sound track of summer, but is increasingly rare and the bird is now on the red RSPB list for conservation concern. But, if you listen and look carefully you can still find them in the South Downs.
Smaller and darker than its relative the collard dove, the turtle doves’ upper body is mottled with dark chestnut browns and blacks, leading to its black tail with a distinctive white edge. Keep your eyes and ears open in the summer months when you may be able to hear its light bubbling purr.
Both adult and chick turtle doves depend on the availability of seeds; they especially love gobbling up seeds from fumitory, knotgrass, chickweed, oilseed rape and cereals. The RSPB have a leaflet on how to encourage the nesting of turtle doves which can be found here.
Photo by Derek Middleton