With the exception of turkeys and geese, turtle doves are perhaps the birds most associated with this time of year. They are, of course, the second gift in The 12 Days of Christmas and they also feature in the nativity story – in the Gospel of Luke, a pair of turtle doves are sacrificed at the temple at Jesus’s circumcision.
From Roman mythology through to Vaughan Williams, turtle doves have long been symbols of love and devotion in western culture. According to Shakespeare, ‘a pair of loving turtle doves… could not live asunder day or night’.
Yet sadly the chances of seeing a pair today are dwindling. Since 1966, Britain’s turtle dove population has dropped from 140,000 pairs to just 2,100. The lack of the right kind of arable seeds at the right time of year is the main reason for the stunning decline in numbers.
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