Streptopelia Turtur Research Articles

The Identification of Wildlife and Animals in Sumerian:

Identifying specific animals in the Sumerian vocabulary often requires careful examination of textual contexts, alongside bioarchaeological data and representations in Sumerian art, as well as insights from linguistic, cross-cultural, ethnographic, and faunal studies. This article supports the notion that the Sumerian bird tu-gur4/8mušen referred to the European turtle dove. Artistic depictions and avifaunal remains confirm the presence of the turtle dove in early Mesopotamia, and references to tu-gur4/8mušen are common in Ur III texts, particularly in Puzriš-Dagan, where it was kept for elite consumption. Turtle doves, unlike other Columbidaespecies, migrate. This article proposes that the seasonal migration of the turtle dove through Iraq in the early autumn is referenced in the Umma month iti dal, which should be understood as the “month of flying (birds).” The seasonal migration of turtle doves was important for the agricultural calendar and the overall economy of the state. Understanding natural events of this kind, and ensuring the correct timing for agricultural tasks would have been essential for maximizing yields, and the planting of the fields—as described in the subsequent Umma month known as the “month of sowing seed” (iti šu-numun)—would commence only after these birds had passed through the region.

Semi-natural habitats are key to breeding bird diversity in intensified vineyard landscapes across Europe

In climatically suitable regions across Europe, vineyards can be the dominant perennial crop type. While many wine-growing landscapes are intensively managed, they may still be an attractive habitat for a wide range of bird species. In this study we investigated how breeding birds in three wine-growing regions in Europe (Germany: Palatinate, France: Bordeaux, Austria: Leithaberg) are influenced by the composition of the landscape, focussing on woody semi-natural vegetation.We recorded bird vocalizations with autonomous sound recorders in 93 landscapes across Europe. Bird species were identified according to their songs and calls. The landscape in a 200-m buffer around the recording points was mapped. In total, we recorded 72 bird species, including species typical for vineyard landscapes such as cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus), hoopoe (Upupa epops) and turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur). For all three countries we found that an increase in overall woody vegetation in the landscape led to an increase in species richness and altered community composition. Most species were recorded in landscapes with abundant hedges, small woods and tree rows rather than in vineyard-dominated landscapes but e.g. woodlark (Lullula arborea) and linnet (Linaria cannabina) showed an opposite preference.We conclude that in intensively used wine-growing landscapes the ongoing decline in farmland birds and the ecosystem services they provide can be reversed by the reintroduction of semi-natural woody vegetation between vineyards. These in many cases linear structural elements can be included in the landscape with only small losses in production area.

Relationships between Land-Use Changes and Population Declines of the European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur in Spain and France

Relationships between Land-Use Changes and Population Declines of the European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur in Spain and France

Habitat preferences of European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur in the Czech Republic: implications for conservation of a rapidly declining farmland species

Habitat preferences of European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur in the Czech Republic: implications for conservation of a rapidly declining farmland species

The role of cultivated versus wild seeds in the diet of European turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) across European breeding and African wintering grounds

AbstractAgricultural intensification is a major driver in species declines, with changes in land use resulting in widespread alteration of resource availability. An increase in anthropogenic food resources, alongside decreasing natural resources, has resulted in species undergoing dietary changes that can have important ecological consequences, particularly for declining species. Here we use high‐throughput sequencing to analyze the diet of the migrant European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a species that has experienced significant population decline throughout its European range. We analyze the diet of this species on both breeding and wintering grounds to gain an understanding of resource use throughout the annual cycle and compare areas of more and less intensive agriculture in western and eastern Europe, respectively. We examine associations with body condition, spatiotemporal variation and the source of food (wild or cultivated). We identified 121 taxonomic units in the diet, with significant variation across sampling seasons, and very little overlap between the breeding and wintering seasons, as well as high levels of cultivated food resources in the diet of turtle doves in both breeding and wintering grounds, with the highest proportion of wild seeds in the diet occurring in birds caught in Hungary, where agricultural intensity was lowest. We detected no association between body condition and the consumption of cultivated food resources. We demonstrate the importance of wild resources in birds on the wintering grounds as they approach migration, where body condition increased as the season progressed, concurrent with an increased consumption of wild seeds. These findings indicate the importance of habitats rich in wild seeds and the need to consider food availability on the wintering grounds, as well as the breeding grounds in turtle dove conservation strategies.

Habitat management carried out by hunters in the European turtle dove western flyway: Opportunities and pitfalls for linking with sustainable hunting

As described in many farmland birds of Europe, habitat loss is one of the main factors explaining the decline of the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a migratory columbid which breeds in the Western Palaearctic and winters in Africa. In the countries belonging to the western flyway (which host around 40–50% of the European breeding population), the species was hunted before the implementation of a moratorium in recent years, and it is known that habitat management is conducted to favour game and wildlife. Through a questionnaire we investigated the habitat management conducted in hunting grounds of France, Portugal and Spain (931 respondents), and the measures that may favour turtle doves. The vast majority of respondents were totally or partially in charge of game management (98%), but less than 50% were responsible for decisions regarding farming or forestry. The most frequent measures were supplementary food (73% of respondents), water provision (68%), forest management (50%) and agricultural management (47%). Land interventions were conducted in a high proportion of grounds, but at limited scale (<50 ha/hunting ground). In most cases, the management was self-funded by hunters and game managers. Habitat management measures were rarely targeted exclusively to the turtle dove; interventions were, in contrast, frequently part of management targeting various species simultaneously. Grounds with a tradition of higher number of hunted doves were those more likely to target the species in their management. The likelihood of implementing management tools was mainly linked to variations in hunting pressure rather than to perceptions of turtle dove population trends. As the turtle dove is favoured by the ecotone between woodland and farmland, it is crucial to promote and reward measures beyond food and water provision, involving agricultural and forest management, ideally accompanied by species’ monitoring in hunting grounds. As the current Adaptive Harvest Management Framework promoted by the European Union aims to link hunting opportunities with habitat enhancements, hunting grounds could be crucial to improve turtle dove habitats at large scale and help reversing current population trends.

Bird diversity in a Sahelian ecosystem under restoration: A study in the great Grenn wall extension area of Senegal

In this study, we survey the avian biodiversity in Koyli Alpha, Senegal, located in the extension area of the Great Green Wall (GGW) project in Senegal to restore the degraded ecosystems by the long years of drought during the 1970s in addition to anthropogenic pressures. Data are collected during a period of 52 days between July 2019 and Jun 2021 in Koyli Alpha and their surroundings, we identified the presence of avian species through daytime focal observations using transects, fixed points and trapping cameras. Thus, we recorded the presence of 198 total bird species. Species composed of 143 landbirds and 55 waterbirds distributed in 22 orders and 59 families. The most common were granivorous birds such as the Golgen sparrow (Passer luteus) and the Red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea). Among these inventoried species, three are categorized as critically endangered species (CR) (IUCN Redlist). They are the Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli), the White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) and the hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus). Additionally, the Martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is categorized as endangered (EN), and the Great grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis), the Abyssinian ground hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) and the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) are categorized as vulnerable species (VN). Furthermore, 37% of observed birds are palearctic migratory species.

To the fauna of rare bird species of coastal habitats of Temryuk Bay

New information on the presence of 27 rare, protected or little-studied species and subspecies of birds (greylag and red-breasted geese, common shelduck, gadwall, common pochard, Eurasian oystercatcher, pied avocet, black-winged stilt, Eurasian golden-plover, Eurasian curlew, sanderling, common greenshank, yellow-legged, great black-headed, Mediterranean, slender-billed, and little gulls, Caspian tern, European turtle-dove, great white and dalmatian pelicans, squacco heron, glossy ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, lesser spotted and white-tailed eagles, Eurasian hobby) obtained in the Temryuk region (Eastern Azov region) in different seasons of 2022-2023. The coast of the bay is a stopping place on the spring migration of Eurasian oystercatcher, pied avocet, Eurasian golden-plover, Eurasian curlew, sanderling, common greenshank, common shelduck, slender-billed gull, and Caspian tern; in the fall - pied avocet, sanderling, and Caspian tern. Information about the migration of the sanderling at the end of March has been obtained for the first time. The location of the concentration of Caspian tern and slender-billed gull has been identified. The glossy ibis, the number of which is growing, the black-winged stilt, and the great black-headed gull remain in the spring-summer period in the flooded rice fields. Harvested rice fields provide valuable habitat for Eurasian spoonbills during their fall migration. Information about a large aggregation of red-breasted goose in rice fields in January 2023 is presented for the first time. The great black-headed gull is found on estuaries in all seasons. The common pochard, gadwall, little gull, and Dalmatian pelican stop at the estuaries during the migration period. The migration of the lesser spotted eagle at the end of September and the migration of a large flock of great white pelican in May were recorded in this area for the first time. The squacco heron, which is disturbance tolerant, is common in reed habitats of estuaries and irrigation canals.

The status of the UK breeding European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur population in 2021

ABSTRACT Capsule The first UK European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur survey, in 2021, estimated the breeding population at 2092 territories. Aims Changes in European Turtle Dove abundance in the UK have been monitored through schemes like the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey, however, sample size is now too low to calculate robust trends going forward. The aims of this volunteer-based survey were to provide a new UK population estimate and create a baseline to monitor future population trends. Methods A stratified random sample of one-kilometre squares were surveyed within the core counties for the species. Elsewhere, one-kilometre squares containing recent European Turtle Dove records were targeted. The survey used a two-visit territory mapping approach, with observers asked to get within 200 metres of potentially suitable nesting or foraging habitat. Visits were undertaken in the early morning, to coincide with peak vocal activity, from 11 May to 31 July. Results The UK population estimate in 2021 was 2092 territories (95% confidence limits, 1559–2782). The species has become increasingly restricted to eastern and southeastern England, with 62.5% of the population estimated to occur in three counties: Kent (682 territories; 32.6%), Suffolk (326; 15.6%) and Essex (300; 14.3%). Additional hotspots occurred in other counties in eastern England, up to North Yorkshire. Conclusion This result suggests a 98% decline in abundance since the 1968–1972 breeding atlas, similar to trends identified from UK bird monitoring schemes, and a substantial contraction in range since the 2007–2011 bird atlas. The temporary cessation of hunting along their European western flyway provides a vital window of opportunity to scale up the delivery of high-quality breeding habitat and increase food availability in the UK. The survey should be repeated in 2026, and regularly thereafter, to help monitor the effectiveness of conservation interventions.

Diet composition of wild columbiform birds: next-generation sequencing of plant and metazoan DNA in faecal samples

Accurate knowledge of a species’ diets is fundamental to understand their ecological requirements. Next-generation sequencing technology has become a powerful and non-invasive tool for diet reconstruction through DNA metabarcoding. Here, we applied those methods on faecal samples of Common Woodpigeons Columba palumbus, European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur, and Stock Doves C. oenas to investigate their dietary composition. By applying primer pairs targeting both the ITS2 region of plant nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial COI region of metazoan DNA, we provide a complete picture of the food ingested and estimate the dietary overlap between the columbiform species during the breeding season. Animal DNA was present very rarely, and a diverse range of plants from the class Spermatopsida dominated the diet, with Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae as the most frequently represented families. Generally, we detected a variability between species but also amongst individual samples. Plant species already known from previous studies, mainly visual analyses, could be confirmed for our individuals sampled in Germany and the Netherlands. Our molecular approach revealed new plant taxa, e.g. plants of the families Malvaceae for Woodpigeons, Lythraceae for Turtle Doves, and Pinaceae for Stock Doves, not found in previous studies using visual analyses. Although most of the plant species observed were of wild origin, the majority of cultivated plants found were present in higher frequencies of occurrence, suggesting that cultivated food items likely constitute an important part of the diet of the studied species. For Turtle Doves, a comparison with previous studies suggested regional differences, and that food items (historically) considered as important part of their diet, such as Fumitory Fumaria sp. and Chickweed Stellaria media, were missing in our samples. This indicates that regional variations as well as historic and current data on diet should be considered to plan tailored seed mixtures, which are currently proposed as an important management measure for conservation of the rapidly declining Turtle Dove.

Determination Conservation Priority Areas and Taxa in Terms of Birds: The Case of Aksaray

Growing environmental challenges worldwide and the lack of resources to tackle them require conservationists to set priorities for action. As known; protected areas will be needed as species change their distribution over time due to global climate change, drought, and complete habitat destruction. Although; conservation targets have been met for most species, some conservation features remain unprotected, especially for threatened bird species. There are certain habitat types in Aksaray province where target species belonging to different bird groups are concentrated. Herein; we identify these priority areas for conservation for the current and future estimated distributions of bird species. For this purpose; field studies have been carried out for two years (2015-2017) to represent different habitat types besides bird species detected within the borders of the province. According to our findings; three different habitats (wetland, swamp, and steppe) rich in target species were determined as priority areas for protection. In addition, five different bird species (Vanellus vanellus, Limosa limosa, Numenius arquata, Circus macrourus, Streptopelia turtur) observed in these habitats are in the Vu (Vulnerable) and NT (Near Threatened) categories according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. As a result;both the protection and monitoring of the identified habitats and taxa that directly reflect the health of the habitat will facilitate the ustainability of priority areas in future. This study could be a resource for future regulation of conservation strategies

Stopover Ecology of the European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), a Threatened Migratory Bird Species, after the Crossing of an Extended Ecological Barrier

Migratory routes, important stopover sites and wintering grounds for the Turtle Dove, a declining trans-Saharan migratory bird, are known mainly for populations in western and central Europe, but very little is known about birds using the eastern migration flyway. By combining long-term ringing data, tracking data and citizen science data, a comprehensive picture of the stopover ecology of the Turtle Dove’s spring migration in the eastern Mediterranean is presented. Furthermore, a quantitative estimate of the number of birds that migrate over Greece during the spring migration is given. Approximately 16% of the European population migrates through Greece, passing through as early as the end of March, with the passage lasting up to the end of May. On average, the species arrives depleted after the crossing of the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, with no systematic refuelling event taking place in North Africa. Both tracking and ringing data indicate that the birds undergo an extensive stopover after the barrier crossing (as much as close to three weeks). Turtle Doves additionally show significant body mass gain during their stay, indicating the potential importance of stopover sites after the Mediterranean Sea for the conservation of the species.

Investigating the association between diet and infection with Trichomonas gallinae in the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur)

AbstractTrichomonas gallinae, a protozoan parasite infecting a wide range of birds, has been a cause for conservation concern since its recognition as an emerging infectious disease, having had notable impacts on several avian species, including causing widespread mortality in greenfinches (Chloris chloris), and chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), and hindering the recovery of the endangered pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri). Horizontal transmission between birds congregating at feeding sites, such as those provided for conservation and species management purposes, is an important driver in the spread of T. galliane. Supplementary feeding is a key conservation intervention for the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), which is declining across its range, driven at least partially by a loss of natural food resources. Due to the link between T. gallinae transmission and supplementary feeding, we consider the prevalence of this parasite among European turtle dove in relation to diet, in the first study to analyze these two factors in the decline of this species together. Using birds sampled from breeding and wintering grounds, the dietary composition of individuals was compared to the presence of T. gallinae, and specific T. gallinae strains. Dietary variation was summarized into two axes using detrended correspondence analysis; neither was associated with the presence of T. gallinae or any specific strains. The proportion of diet accounted for by cultivated seeds did not affect parasite presence, despite the spread of this parasite being associated with supplementary feeding due to an increase in contact between potentially infected and uninfected birds gathering at high densities at feeding sites. Significant dietary overlap was observed between infected and uninfected individuals in all sites, with almost complete dietary overlap being observed in one breeding site. The level of dietary overlap between individuals infected with specific strains fluctuated between sampling seasons, indicating no consistent relationship between diet and infection status.

Temporal Patterns of Cooing Activity of the European Turtle-Dove Streptopelia turtur: Optimising Monitoring Schemes Based on Abundance Indices

Los muestreos basados en índices de abundancia pueden ser el método más eficiente en programas de monitorización que pretendan ser extensos en el tiempo o el espacio, pero es importante tener en cuenta las posibles diferencias espaciales o temporales en los patrones de actividad cuando se combinan datos recopilados en diferentes momentos o áreas. La tórtola europea Streptopelia turtur es una especie cinegética migratoria que ha disminuido de forma importante en las últimas décadas, y para la cual es fundamental identificar sistemas de monitorización eficientes y fáciles de implementar para evaluar cambios de abundancia para un manejo adaptativo. En este trabajo describimos la variación en la actividad de canto para optimizar los programas de monitorización de abundancia de tórtolas basados en puntos de escucha de machos cantores. La actividad de canto (el número de minutos durante un período de muestreo de 10 minutos en los que cada tórtola se escuchó cantando al menos una vez) disminuyó marcada y linealmente a lo largo de la mañana; además, aumentó levemente desde mayo a fines de junio, disminuyendo abruptamente en la segunda quincena de julio. El número de tórtolas detectadas por punto en un período de 10 minutos disminuyó significativamente desde el amanecer y fue notablemente más bajo después de mediados de julio. La abundancia predicha por punto de observación al amanecer del 25 de junio (a partir de un GLM por región incluyendo una relación lineal con la hora y una relación cuadrática con la fecha), se correlacionó estrechamente (r = 0,95) con el número promedio de tórtolas detectadas en cada punto durante múltiples visitas durante la temporada de reproducción. La correlación de esta última variable con el número de aves observadas en una sola visita durante el período de cría fue más débil (0,68 ± 0,02). La abundancia estimada por punto fue mayor cuanto mayor fue la duración del tiempo de muestreo por punto, aunque períodos de 5 minutos permitieron detectar ca. 80% de las aves detectadas en 10 minutos. Para optimizar los programas de monitorización de abundancia de tórtolas basados en índices de abundancia, sugerimos implementar muestreos de 5 min desde mediados de mayo hasta mediados de julio en las primeras tres horas de la mañana, y ajustar los valores observados transformándolos en valores predichos considerando el día y la hora en que se realizaron las encuestas, para obtener resultados comparables entre puntos de observación y años.—Arroyo, B., Moreno-Zarate, L., Fernández-Tizón, M., Sardà-Palomera, F., Bota, G. y Mougeot, F. (2023). Patrones temporales de la actividad de canto de la tórtola europea Streptopelia turtur: optimizando los programas de monitorización basados en índices de abundancia. Ardeola, 70: 151-168.

Spatial and Temporal Monitoring of North African Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur arenicola (Hartert, EJO, 1894): First Migrants Arrive Early and Select Nesting Trees next to Foraging Resources while Second Breeders’ Wave Breed around Earlier Nests

This study aimed to evaluate the spatial microdistribution and temporal microdistribution of the North African subspecies of the globally threatened Turtle Doves in Morocco. From the end of February to early September, we monitored the migration dates, counting arrival and departure dates, and breeding chronology, to clarify if the breeding season is divided into sub-breeding phases or not. Equally, the spatial distribution of nests following potential breeding phases was surveyed weekly in Beni Mellal province following a map of a selected orange orchard. Doves arrived in Beni Mellal in the third week of March and left in mid-October, according to the results. The first nests occurred in the second week of April, followed by the first eggs in the third week of April and the first chicks in the first week of May. PCA analysis showed that the nesting and laying stages were achieved principally during the last two weeks of April and the first three weeks of May, the hatching stage between the fourth week of May and the second week of July, and fledging between the fourth week of July and the first week of September. Further, the breeding season was divided into two phases: the first breeding phase, from the first week of April to the first week of June, and the second phase, between the second week of June and the second week of August. The DCA analysis and orchard-created map indicated that the first wave of breeders colonized the marginal trees located on the orchard sides, surrounded by foraging cereals and legumes, and the second breeding-phase nests were constructed in flocks next to the nests of the first breeding phase. According to this strategy, the first breeders prospect the orchard and select nesting trees near foraging resources, while the second breeders’ wave colonizes trees near successfully used prospector sites. These findings are of great importance for comparative investigations and habitat-scale conservation management.

Acoustic Monitoring Confirms Significant Poaching Pressure of European Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) during Spring Migration across the Ionian Islands, Greece

The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is an Afro-Palearctic migrant whose populations have declined by 79% from 1980 to 2014. In 2018, the International Single Species Action Plan for the Turtle Dove (ISSAP) was developed with the goal of enabling, by 2028, an increase in turtle dove numbers along each of the three migration flyways (western, central, eastern). To achieve this, the illegal killing of turtle doves, a critical threat to the species, has to be eradicated. The Ionian Islands off the west coast of Greece lie on the eastern flyway and are considered a major turtle dove poaching hot-spot during spring migration. Quantifying wildlife crime, however, is challenging. In the absence of a reliable protocol for monitoring spring poaching levels, the agencies tasked with tackling the problem have no means of assessing the effectiveness of the anti-poaching measures and adapting them if required. Using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) methods, we recorded gun hunting intensity at known turtle dove poaching sites during the 2019-2022 spring migrations (2-10 sites/season) with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. Based on published gunshot to killed/injured bird ratio for similar species (corroborated with discussions with local hunters) and an estimate of the proportion of hunting sites monitored by our PAM grid (using gunshot detection range estimates from control gunshots), we estimated that in 2021, up to 57,095 turtle doves were killed or injured across five Ionian Islands (Zakynthos, Paxi, Antipaxi, Othoni, and Mathraki). The 2022 estimate was almost half, but it is unclear as to whether the change is due to a decline in poachers or turtle doves. We propose ways of improving confidence in future estimates, and call for a temporary moratorium of autumn turtle dove hunting in Greece-as per ISSAP recommendation-until spring poaching is eradicated and the eastern flyway population shows signs of a full recovery. Finally, we hope our findings will pave the way for the development of PAM grids at turtle dove poaching hot-spots across all migration flyways, contributing to the global conservation of the species.

Contrasting occurrence patterns in the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) in managed and unmanaged hunting forest estates: does human presence matter?

Contrasting occurrence patterns in the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) in managed and unmanaged hunting forest estates: does human presence matter?

Age ratio, crippling losses and factors affecting daily hunting bags of European Turtle-dove in Spain: Implications for sustainable harvest management of a declining migratory species

Knowledge of seasonal variation in hunting pressure and the demographic composition of hunting bags is likely to be important for the effective management of quarry species. Such knowledge is particularly important where regulatory mechanisms aim to avoid the over-exploitation of quarry species having unfavourable conservation status. We compiled information on the age composition of harvested European Turtle-doves (Streptopelia turtur), and the daily numbers of doves shot and retrieved from 68 hunting estates spread across four Spanish regions. We use these data to describe temporal variation, and identify factors affecting daily hunting bags, age composition and crippling losses. We found that more juvenile doves were hunted than adults (and more than expected in a stable population) especially at the beginning of the hunting season, suggesting greater vulnerability of juveniles to hunting. The number of doves hunted each day declined through the hunting season and increased with the number of hunters present. Crippling losses averaged 9.6 % of all doves shot; applying this rate to recent Spanish government hunting statistics suggests under-recording of approximately 90,000 doves annually for the entire country. Our data on age composition and crippling losses can serve as direct inputs into future models of sustainable harvest for Turtle Dove in Europe. Our results highlight the importance of improving knowledge about the variables influencing take at the hunting event level for designing more efficiency regulatory measures.

Nesting success and productivity of a declining European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) population in western France

The European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur is a trans‐Saharan migratory species that has been declining for decades. This study reports nesting habitat, nest‐site characteristics, nesting success (38.6%) and productivity (2.40 young per pair per season) of European Turtle Doves radiotracked in a deciduous forest of western France. A matrix population model based on our results suggests that the average productivity reported would need to be increased by about 0.18 additional young per pair to achieve a population growth rate equal to one. However, elasticity analysis suggests that increasing adult survival would have the highest impact on population growth compared with increased productivity or first‐year survival.

The Black Sea-Eastern Mediterranean flyway of the globally threatened European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur)

The European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur (hereafter turtle dove), is a widespread species in the Palearctic. Due to a large and rapid decline in its abundance, it was classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2015 and is now regarded as a globally threatened species. The objective of this study was to provide new information on the flyways of this turtle dove population by analyzing available ring recoveries and citizen science sightings data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. A new flyway (possibly stretching through the Black and Caspian Seas, Turkey, the Middle East, and Egypt toward the Eastern Sahel) is suggested for turtle doves breeding in Northern and Eastern Europe.