The number of turtle doves breeding in the United Kingdom has decreased by 98 percent, to just 2,100 breeding pairs.

The worrisome population drop is a result of habitat destruction in UK breeding sites and irresponsible hunting.

The first national survey of the turtle dove, which has long been seen as a symbol of affection, revealed that its worrying fall was attributable to habitat destruction in the UK breeding areas and unsustainable killing as it migrates from Europe to Africa.

Volunteers, farmers, research groups, county bird clubs, and other organizations recorded turtle doves across their habitat in the United Kingdom last year and determined that there are now an estimated 2,100 pairs, down from 125,000 in 1970.

However, the conservation organization RSPB stated that there is hope for the species, as remedies to its risks are already in place.

Operation Turtle Dove is a cooperation of conservation organizations spearheading efforts to restore and establish a habitat for the birds to breed in the United Kingdom, with experts helping land managers produce the scrub and tall hedges the birds require and providing them with additional seed food.

New agri-environmental programs in England, which are replacing EU funds for farming after Brexit, must continue to reward farmers who implement wildlife-friendly measures on their land, according to the RPSB.

Until recently, unsustainable hunting methods in southwest Europe resulted in the killing of an estimated million birds every year, including migratory birds migrating via Europe and Africa.

In 2021, however, it became illegal to hunt turtle doves in France, Spain, and Portugal.

The birds, who are the only long-distance migratory dove species in Europe, are recognized for their “purring” call and the scalloped pattern on their wing feathers, as well as their presence in the Christmas carol The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

These outcomes offer a bleak picture.

According to the survey, the species is currently concentrated in southern and eastern England and as far north as Yorkshire.

Andrew Stanbury, a conservation biologist with the RSPB, stated, “There were records of flocks of over 500 birds in the 1970s, and the UK population was believed to be 125,000 pairs.

Although these data depict a bleak picture, the path forward is clear, and we have a strong possibility of turning this bird’s fortunes around.

“We anticipate that the 2021 census will reveal the lowest population level.”

Phil Grice, the lead ornithology specialist at the government conservation agency Natural England, stated, “The absence of hunting on the western European flyway presents us with a tremendous opportunity to reverse the loss of one of England’s most imperiled bird species.

Throughout the late spring and summer, it will be crucial to provide ample nesting habitat in the form of tall hedges and mature scrub as well as adequate seed resources.