Race to Rescue: Conservationists Saving the UK’s Fastest Declining Bird Species in Operation Turtledove

Step into an amazing journey to learn about the struggles of the special turtle dove and how people are working really hard to protect them. We’ll explore the problems they face, the things that give us hope, and what’s being done to keep these lovely birds safe.

by TAUHID SHAH: January 7 : Sunday: 08:19 PM | 2024 Update

The turtle dove is a famous bird during Christmas in the UK. But sadly, their numbers have dropped by a huge 99% since the late 1960s. There are only about 2,100 pairs left in the UK, which is very worrying.

One big reason for this drop is that they’re losing their homes where they nest and raise their babies. This means they can’t find enough food to survive. But there are groups, like the RSPB’s Operation Turtledove, that are working really, really hard to help these birds and make their numbers go up again.

Let’s dig deeper into the tough problems not just for turtle doves but also for other animals mentioned in the State of Nature 2023 report. We’ll find out about the big numbers that show how tough things are because of farming and the changing climate. But there are things happening that are making a difference to fight these problems.

We’ll hear from people like Nicole Khan, who works with farmers to make homes for these birds again. These stories give us hope for the future of the turtle dove.

Come with us on this journey to understand why it’s so important to protect wildlife and what amazing things people are doing to help. We’ll discover the urgent need to act fast and the stories that show us there’s hope for our beloved birds.