The European turtle dove feeds mainly on plant food it finds on the ground, especially small seeds from weeds and cereal plants. It rarely eats animals without backbones. Both parents feed their chicks food produced in their crops, known as “bird’s milk.”
European turtle dove
Streptopelia turtur
Listen to the voice
Yuvalr · Israel
A small migratory dove with chestnut-and-black scaly upperparts and a black-and-white striped neck patch. Confirmed in Georgia as a breeding migrant; globally Vulnerable. A national VU assessment appears in a 2024 conservation order, but the species is absent from Georgia's 2014 Red List.
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 26–28 cm
- Diet
- Seeds
- Status in Georgia
- Breeding migrant
- Habitat
- Scrub and farmland edge
- Family
- Columbidae
- Global status
- Vulnerable
Streptopelia turtur is a small dove. According to 2024 records, it nests in Georgia and is also seen during spring and autumn migration. Its back has a chestnut and black pattern resembling scales, and there are black and white patches on the sides of its neck. It is harmless to people. Public photo observations record it in Adjara and Kakheti. There are only scattered sightings in Abkhazia, so it is not considered widespread there. The location given for one sighting in Gldani falls in Mtskheta-Mtianeti rather than Tbilisi. That sighting does not establish its distribution in either Tbilisi or Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The number of sightings does not show how many of these birds live in a given area. Globally, Streptopelia turtur is assessed as facing a risk of extinction. As of 2024, it has the same assessment in Georgia. It is not included in Georgia’s 2014 Red List.
Identification
European turtle dove: how to identify it
An adult turtle dove has a chestnut-and-black pattern resembling scales on its back and a black-and-white striped patch on each side of its neck. Young birds do not yet show the distinct neck patches; look at the pattern on the back and tail as well.
An adult bird is about 26–28 cm long, and its outstretched wings measure 47–53 cm across. Its back has a chestnut and black pattern that looks like scales. The head and underside are gray or pinkish gray, and the breast often has a faint pink tint. There is a black-and-white striped patch on each side of the neck. Adults have a reddish ring around the eye. The dark tail has a white tip and sides, which are especially visible in flight.
Young birds are duller in color than adults and do not yet have the distinct black-and-white patch on the neck. Males and females look alike. The bird coos softly, repeating “tur-tur.” It often feeds on the ground in open areas; as it takes off, you may hear a sharp sound from its wings.
Streptopelia decaocto is found in Georgia year-round. It is lighter in colour and an even greyish brown. It has a single black half-ring on the back of its head, but lacks the chestnut-and-black, scale-like pattern on the back that is characteristic of the species described here. Streptopelia orientalis meena is found in Georgia during migration. It is larger and darker, with a different pattern on its neck. Spilopelia senegalensis is smaller and has a warm pinkish-brown colour. Its neck has a spotted pattern. From a distance, a young Columba palumbus can be mistaken for a young bird of the species described here: neither yet shows the neck patch characteristic of adults. Columba palumbus is much larger and bulkier; even a young bird has a broad white stripe on its wing. The species described here has a chestnut-and-black, scale-like pattern on its back and a dark tail with white edges.
Often confused with
In Georgia, the European turtle dove is found during the nesting season and migration; it usually does not stay for winter. It has been recorded in Adjara and Kakheti. It has also been recorded in Batumi, which is a place for observing migration. Monitoring in Kolkheti lists it as a migrant, but that does not confirm its presence in Guria or Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. For nesting, it chooses forest edges, shrubland, and places with trees and shrubs near farmland. It usually builds its nest from thin twigs in a shrub or tree.
Recorded (photo observations)field records
Too few records · 2
The European turtle dove map uses public iNaturalist photo observations in Georgia. Regions come from the records-by-region table: only regions with enough records are shaded on the map; other regions are not shaded. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
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- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Region with records
This bird is active during the day. Its soft, rhythmic “tur-tur” call is often heard from a tree or bush. It flies quickly and in a straight line. In flight, the white edges of its dark tail are visible. The female usually lays two white eggs. Both parents sit on the eggs. This usually lasts 14–16 days. The young leave the nest after about 18–19 days. This bird migrates long distances and spends the winter in Africa, south of the Sahara.
Globally, the European turtle dove is assessed as vulnerable. It was also assessed as vulnerable nationally in 2024, although it is not on Georgia’s official 2014 Red List. European turtle dove numbers have declined in Europe. The decline is linked to a loss of seeds it eats and shrubs it needs for nesting in rural areas, as well as hunting along its migration routes. In Georgia, catching or killing European turtle doves without following regulations and the loss of windbreaks are considered local threats.
Charles J. Sharp · Hungary
Yuvalr · Israel
Charles J. Sharp · Otmoor, Oxfordshire
Cezar Popescu · Sudiți, Romania
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about European turtle dove.
Yes. Streptopelia turtur nests in Georgia and is also seen passing through during migration. Outside the breeding season, including in winter, it usually does not stay in the country.
In the warmer months, look for the European turtle dove in open and partly open places — among bushes, along forest edges and hedges, and near fields where seeds are available. It has been recorded in Adjara and Kakheti. Its migration through Batumi has been confirmed. It has also been recorded in Kolkheti during migration, but that record does not confirm its presence in Guria or Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. There are only a few scattered records from Abkhazia.
To identify the European turtle dove, look for its chestnut-and-black back with a scale-like pattern and the black-and-white striped patches on the sides of its neck. Its dark tail has white edges, and its soft coo sounds like “tur-tur”. The Eurasian collared dove is lighter and more evenly colored. It has one black half-ring on the back of its neck, and its back lacks the chestnut-and-black, scale-like pattern.
An adult European turtle dove has a body length of about 26–28 cm and a wingspan of about 47–53 cm.
The European turtle dove mainly eats plant seeds and grains it finds on the ground. Both parents feed their young with food produced in their crops.
In Georgia, the European turtle dove is found during the nesting season and as it passes through in spring and autumn. It usually does not stay for the winter.
Yes. A 2024 list confirms that the European turtle dove nests in Georgia. It was recorded as a migrant during monitoring in Batumi, but that does not confirm nesting there. It is also listed as a migrant in the Kolkheti monitoring list. That record does not confirm nesting in Kolkheti or establish that the European turtle dove is found across Guria or Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.
The European turtle dove is harmless to people. It is assessed as vulnerable worldwide. An annex to an official 2024 order also assesses it as vulnerable in Georgia, although it is absent from Georgia’s 2014 Red List. It is not on the official list for the 2026 hunting season either. Do not catch or hunt it.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
