Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests
EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE (Streptopelia turtur) adult at Tavronitis River Mouth, Crete, Greece
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The European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a migratory member of the familyColumbidae, which includes doves as well as pigeons and is in the genus Streptopelia. It is a summer breeding resident in Europe (including the Canary Islands), parts of the Middle East, as well as western Asia and north Africa. It is absent as a breeding species from Iceland, Ireland (formally bred) and most of Scandinavia but does occur in spring and autumn as an uncommon/rare overshooting migrant. Over much of its northern range, there has been a very sharp decline in its population. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the winter in southern Africa.