European Turtle Dove

The European Turtle Dove is declining across its breeding range, due to several drivers such as habitat loss, and it is globally threatened.

Together with the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), we are investigating the role of diseases in their population dynamics in several regions in Spain.

We are especially focused on Trichomonosis, a parasitic disease that typically affects finches, doves and pigeons. It causes lesions in the throat of the infected birds, which sometimes makes it harder for the bird to swallow the food and to breath.