Turtle dove numbers fall as farmland birds vanish

Turtle doves have seen numbers plummet as farmland bird populations reached new record lows, official figures have shown.

Numbers of 19 species of bird which breed or feed on farmland are now half what they were when records began in 1970, according to figures published by the environment department.

Most of the reductions occurred between the late 1970s and early 1990s but numbers fell by more than 9 per cent in the five years to 2009, the statistics revealed.

Turtle doves, a traditional symbol of love, have seen populations fall by more than 90 per cent since the 1970s and by more than half in the past five years alone.

The RSPB said turtle doves, a migratory species which relies on seed-rich wildflowers and weeds in the countryside, declined by 21 per cent between 2009 and 2010 and there were now only seven birds for every 100 there were in 1970.