The RSPB has announced the launch of this year's Operation Turtle Dove to help stop plummeting numbers of the red-listed bird.
The charity stated that from December 3 to 10, Operation Turtle Dove will focus on raising funds to help restore the bird's habitat "both in the UK and along its migratory routes."
During spring, these birds will fly thousands of miles through the Sahara Desert, Spain, Portugal, and France before reaching the UK.
However, between 1967 and 2022, the number of turtle doves plummeted by 99%.
A symbol of love and peace, this species struggles to find food and places to breed.
According to the 2023 BTO's Breeding Bird Survey, turtle doves face threats from habitat loss caused by the expansion of agricultural land, unsustainable hunting practices, and illegal killings.
“It's a project run in partnership with other organisations, which was set up in 2012 to help the plight of turtle doves in the UK,” said an RSPB spokesperson.
“Our grandparents may remember their purring call on spring days, but for everyone else, they’ve largely fallen silent, until now."
Forbidden to be hunted in Portugal, Spain and France since 2021, the Western European population of turtle doves has increased by 25%.
Operation Turtle Dove will use the donations to work with farmers and landowners to provide key habitats including seed-rich flowering areas, ponds, patches of thorny scrub, and tall, wide hedgerows to support the birds.
For a week, people will be able to donate towards this project on the funding page.
