Bird of the year - turtledove

The Estonian Ornithological Society has chosen turtledove the bird of the year 2017.

There are two representatives of the genus: turtle dove and ruff turtle dove. We have to do with some of the least studied types of birds in Estonia. The turtle dove is the smallest European dove. Its head is greyish, its throat pink, the wings orange with black spots, the lower part of the abdomen white. The vital feature is a black and white striped spot on the neck. The places where it usually lives are sparse broadleaved forests. The turtle dove's utterance is a low and monotonous gurgling that sounds like the purring of a cat.

The ruff turtle dove is the size of the thrush, with a slender body and long tail. The main tone of its plumage is creamy beige with one black spot on the neck. The ruff turtle dove lives in human settlements or close to them. Its song is a quiet "guguu-kuk" which somewhat sounds like the cuckoo.