They have long been a staple of a popular
Christmas song. But the turtle dove and the partridge face crisis this winter
following a dramatic fall in numbers which could put the turtle dove in danger
of extinction.
Over a five-year period, Britain has lost six
out of 10 turtle doves, with just 14,000 pairs now left in Britain.
The RSPB has estimated that by the middle of the
next decade fewer than 1000 pairs may remain, putting the bird in danger of
extinction.
The grey partridge population is estimated to
have fallen by 30 per cent in the same five year period to 2010. There are now
around 43,000 pairs.
RSPB scientist Dr Mark Eaton described the
drastic decline in bird numbers as an “unsustainable wildlife disaster”.
He said: “The turtle dove is in a great degree
of danger – if this trend were to continue we could be down to fewer than 1000
pairs by the middle of the next decade, with complete extinction a real
possibility.
“Losing
six out of ten of our turtle doves and three out of ten grey partridge in five
years is nothing short of an unsustainable wildlife disaster.”
Turtle doves, which have often been used as
emblems of love and devotion in literature, were once widespread in southern
Britain but numbers have declined by more than 90 per cent since the 1970s.
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