100 Turtle Doves Released
The Wardens at Sandringham along with The Turtle Dove Trust have released 100 Turtle Doves into the wild on the Estate this May.
Founded by three Norfolk conservationists in 2019, Bill Makins from Pensthorpe Natural Park, Ed Pope of Watatunga Wildlife Reserve and Chris Knight (known for his pioneering work in re-establishing stone curlew in East Anglia) the charity aims to reintroduce and maintain a substantial wild flock of the captive bred birds able to survive year-round in Britain.
Supported by His Majesty The King, the charity along with Sandringham Wardens have reared 100 Turtle Doves on the Estate to help secure a future for the iconic bird here in the UK.
His Majesty The King with Trevor Lay from The Turtle Dove Trust
Turtle Doves are a red listed species in the UK with barely around 1,000 wild pairs, which are suffering at a spectacular rate due to a variety of factors.
The Estate and surrounding areas provide coppices, meadows, ponds and waterways as a suitable habitat for the birds and a food rich landscape.
Turtle Doves feed mostly on arable and mixed farmland, where its staple food of wildflower seeds and farmed crop grains are found on the ground.
The expectation is that the flock will continue to seasonally increase adding to Turtle Dove numbers overall starting to rise across the UK. We look forward to tracking and sharing their progress.
