Turtle Dove Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

The Turtle Dove is the smallest member of the dove family that we see here in the UK. They are much smaller than the Collared Dove and only slightly larger than the Blackbird.

Named after their gentle “tur, tur” call, the Turtle Dove is a migratory bird which is only seen in the UK between the months of April to September. Turtle Doves weigh around half as much as a Wood Pigeon.

Although the Turtle Dove is the same shape as other members of the dove family, it is much smaller and has a much more intricate patternation. They are a pinkish grey colour and have black and white barring on their necks.

Turtle Doves have a pink eye ring and its wings are patterned with black and brown feathers. The Turtle Doves tail has white tips which are clearly visible when the bird is in flight.

Keep reading to find out more about these fascinating birds.

How Long Does A Turtle Dove Live?

Turtle Doves have an average lifespan of around 2 years and they become sexually active at one year. Turtle Doves’ short lifespan can be attributed to a number of factors including; a loss of habitat, a shortage of food, predation and human hunting.

Having said that, there have been Turtle Doves that have lived for more than 11 years according to ring records.

How Fast Can A Turtle Dove Fly?

Turtle Doves migrate from the western Palearctic including most of Europe as well as the Middle East including Turkey and north Africa. They winter on the African mainland south of the Sahara Desert and return to northern Europe in late April before returning south again in September.

They travel mostly during the hours of darkness and can reach speeds of 40 to 50 mph (64 to 72 km/h). As part of their migratory journey, Turtle Doves fly over Malta, France, Spain and Morocco where huge numbers are shot each year.

They fly an average of around 5,000 kilometres during their migratory journeys with many travelling around 700 kilometres in a single flight (without stopping). They have a particular flight pattern which includes rapid wing beats followed by short glides that allows them to cover huge distances whilst conserving energy.

Are Turtle Doves Aggressive?

Turtle Doves are generally peaceful birds and tend to avoid conflict whilst maintaining a low profile which suggests that they are not an aggressive bird. When they are threatened, Turtle Doves are more likely to fly away than they are to confront the threat.

Having said that, during the breeding season, Turtle Doves are likely to display aggressive behaviour towards intruders or potential threats in order to protect their nest, eggs, chicks or partner.

Turtle Doves are typically found in pairs or small flocks and their actions within the group are typically peaceful. Even their feeding habits which include foraging on the ground for seeds could not be called aggressive by any means.

What Is A Turtle Dove’s Habitat?

Turtle Doves prefer open woodlands, hedgerows and grassland. They nest in thorny plants like hawthorn and can often be seen during the summer months along the south and east of England.

How Long Does It Take For A Turtle Dove To Build A Nest?

Turtle Doves like to build their nests in thorny shrubs like the hawthorn as well as climbing plants often in dense thorny vegetation. It takes around 7 days for Turtle Doves to build a nest with both parents working together.

The male typically selects the site which is usually high enough from the ground to afford some protection from predators. Both birds find twigs, grass and leaves to construct the nest. These materials are fashioned together into a nest usually by the female with the male just gathering materials.

The nest is typically a shallow bowl shape and loosely constructed and is simply a platform of twigs with other plant materials added.

Eggs

Once the nest has been constructed to the satisfaction of the female, she will move onto the next stage in the reproductive cycle, the egg laying phase.

When Do Turtle Doves Lay Eggs?

Turtle Doves typically lay their eggs any time between late April and August but the most common egg laying period for the first brood is around mid May to the end of June. During this period the pair might build a number of nests and often have more than one brood per season.

How Many Eggs Does A Turtle Dove Lay?

The female will typically lay 2 to 3 eggs which are incubated by both parents. In many cases, she will have 2 or even 3 broods each season, often moving to a new nesting site for each brood.

Despite these efforts to increase the size of the population of Turtle Doves they are still an endangered species and are on the Red list for conservation in the UK.

What Do Turtle Dove Eggs Look Like?

The eggs of the Turtle Dove are around 30 x 22 mm in size and weigh around 8.2 grams with around 6% of that weight contributed to by the shell.

The oval shaped eggs are smooth and shiny and pure white in colour.

How Long Do Turtle Dove Eggs Take To Hatch?

The eggs are incubated by both parents for around 14 to 16 days until they hatch. The parents take turns incubating the eggs and going in search of food.

They typically nest close to a good source of food to conserve energy during this taxing time. This is normally close to cereal crops or wildflowers where seeds are plentiful.

Chicks

The next stage in the development of the species is the chick cycle. Let’s take a quick look at the chicks of the Turtle Dove.

How Many Chicks Does A Turtle Dove Have?

In a number of studies, it has been found that the survival rate of eggs to chicks in Turtle Doves is around 70% with the main losses being due to predation or the death of one or both parents. If all goes well, the parents will raise around 2 chicks from every brood.

In many cases, all 3 eggs survive to fledgling stage. On average 2 out of 3 eggs hatch and go on to become fledged Turtle Doves.

When Do Turtle Dove Chicks Open Their Eyes?

Turtle Dove chicks are altricial which means they are naked and blind when they hatch and rely on their parents for their survival in their early days. They typically open their eyes after around 5 days like many other dove species worldwide.

When Do Turtle Dove Chicks Fledge?

The chicks develop relatively fast and are typically ready to fledge the nest after about 15 to 17 days. For the first few days they are fed with a regurgitated milk-like substance which is known as  “crop milk”.

Once the young chicks fledge the nest, they are likely to stay with the parents for around 1 to 2 weeks before leaving the area altogether. At which point the parents start the reproductive cycle all over again.

SEE ALSO: Spoonbill Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging

Frequently Asked Questions