When it comes to conservation efforts, a cool epithet can only help. Operation Turtle Dove not only has a fantastic name, but it has also been a smashing success.
A ban on hunting turtle doves in western Europe was introduced in 2021. In just four years, the region's population has recovered by 40%.
Senior project manager for Operation Turtle Dove Rick Bayne told the Independent, "This excellent news from the wider western European breeding population is compelling evidence that our conservation strategy for turtle doves is working."
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) describes the turtle dove as a "dainty dove." Though their plumage is dark and resembles a tortoiseshell, their name actually comes from their distinctive, "turr turr" call.
These gentle creatures have long been a cultural symbol of love and devotion in Western culture. They mate for life, and the male takes an active role in incubating eggs. As granivores, they play a useful role in the ecosystem as seed dispersers, which helps maintain biodiversity in the region.
Turtle doves wisely avoid British winters by spending the time in Africa before migrating through western Europe in the summer months. But their numbers have plummeted dramatically, by around 98% (per the Woodland Trust) from 1970s levels.
The chief causes were changes to agriculture that deprived them of food sources, and overhunting. Millions of birds en route to southeast England were trapped and shot by hunters in France, Spain, and Portugal before the hunting ban.
Operation Turtle Dove works with farmers and landowners in Britain to help create habitats that enable turtle doves to thrive once again. This collaborative approach has been a cornerstone of the project's success.
Nature is resilient, and conservation efforts worldwide demonstrate that endangered species can recover from the brink if they're given the chance.
Of course, it's important not to get complacent, especially with the news that the European Union will lift the hunting ban on turtle doves.
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Definitely 💯 Dr. Guy Anderson, the RSPB's Migratory Birds Programme manager, explained that Operation Turtle Dove's success "does not diminish the need to ensure that unsustainable levels of hunting do not return."
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