Where does it live?
The European turtle dove is a
migratory bird. From late April to August it can be found
all the way from England to northern Africa and from Portugal
into Western Russia. Its arrival in the spring in Europe
is announced by its deep, vibrating "turrrr, turrr" mating song
from where it received its name. It spends its winters in
a small band of sub-Saharan Africa.
Map showing typical regions where the
turtle dove lives. The green shows the
summer mating grounds and the
yellow represents its winter grounds.
Map edited from Avibirds European.
The European turtle dove lives in a
wide variety of habitats including steppe, semi-desert, and a
variety of forest types. Typically, it prefers more open,
sunny, dry
areas with bushes or trees found in clumps to nest.
The turtle dove can also be found on the edges of
forests, including oak and juniper forests. It nests in
the trees, but typically feeds on
the ground. Generally turtle
doves stay away from cities and are shy around humans.