Turtle Dove

Distribution

This species inhabits areas of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. They migrate over the winter, and travel to Sub-Saharan Africa. Their populations are patchy throughout their range, and their numbers are currently declining. While these migrating birds pass through Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus, humans illegally shoot half a million of them.

Diet

Members of this European Dove species are herbivores, and primarily feed on seeds and grains. Though they live and roost in trees, most of their foraging occurs on the ground. They search for seeds, grains, berries, and fruits along open areas. Occasionally, they also eat worms, insects, spiders, snails, and fungi. They are opportunistic, and eat just about any type of food they can find.

Information

These doves are small birds with beautiful plumage. They are light gray with a dark striped patch on their necks, and gold-laced feathers on their wings. The patch on the neck is ringed in silver, and contains black and white stripes. This species is relatively small, but not among the smallest dove species. Most individuals are around 10 inches long, and they weigh about 5 ounces.

Turtle Dove

Other birds