Conservationists race to rescue England’s turtle doves from extinction

Turtle doves in flight in Norfolk. The population in England has fallen to just 2,000 breeding pairs. Photograph: Nature Picture Library/Alamy

Hundreds of turtle doves are being released this summer as conservationists race against the clock to save the species from extinction in England.

The cooing doves, which mate for life, are the fastest-declining bird species in the country. Just 2,000 pairs are left, a decline of 98% since the 1970s. This is because their habitats in scrubby areas have been destroyed and thousands are shot on their migratory route across Europe.