Turtle Dove

Alex Cagan | Drawing | Curious Nature

Perhaps most familiar from the Twelve Days of Christmas, turtle doves have declined by 93% since 1970, and are on the Global Red List for Endangered Species. The turtle dove is now only found in eastern England, where farmers are working with the RSPB to create feeding habitats, the destruction of which are blamed for the bird’s decline. Understanding its genetics could help with its conservation.