Turtle doves (steptopelia tutur) are part of the pigeon family and are, in fact, Britain’s smallest native pigeon; turtle doves have a wingspan of around 50cm. It is recognisable by its reddish-brown body, light blue-grey head and soothing song. Turtle doves like to live in hedgerows and woodland, mainly in the south of England (Kent and Suffolk particularly), but they are quite rare so if you see a turtle dove in your garden, count yourself extremely lucky!
• Turtle doves were classified as vulnerable by IUCN in 2015. Previously they were listed as a species of least concern. The European population was estimated between 3-6 million pairs in 2015.