Mourning Dove wing-whistles may contain threat-related information
Distinct acoustic whistles are associated with the wing-beats of many doves, and are especially noticeable when doves ascend from the ground when startled. A scientist from Texas A&M University, USA, has tested whether these noises provide a cue of potential danger by comparing the responses of Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura), Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) to audio playbacks of dove ‘startle wing-whistles’, cardinal alarm calls, dove nonstartle wing-whistles’, and sparrow ‘social chatter’. Following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls, conspecifics and heterospecifics startled and increased vigilance more than after playbacks of other sounds. Also, the latency to return to feeding was greater following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls than following playbacks of other sounds. They suggest that both conspecifics and heterospecifics may attend to dove wing-whistles in decisions related to antipredator behaviors.

Coleman, S.W. (scoleman "at" bio.tamu.edu) (in press) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) wing-whistles may contain threat-related information for con- and hetero-specifics. Naturwissenschaften.

Turtle dove numbers decline due to shooting and farming
Turtle dove numbers are in chronic decline because of changing farming methods and over-enthusiastic shooting in continental Europe. The 1968-72 Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland estimated that there were 125,000 pairs of turtle doves breeding in Britain. Between 1988-1991 the New Atlas, published by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Scottish Ornithologists' Club and the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, estimated the number of pairs at 75,000. The most recent confirmed statistics from the 2005 Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside Atlas, show the turtle dove population in 2000 to be just 44,000 breeding pairs, and falling. A BTO spokesman added: "This has to be an over-estimate, and we believe the current numbers are more likely to be down to around 20,000." Work began on a new atlas in 2006, but the results will not be available until 2011 (Daily Telegraph 02.07.2008).

Risely, K., Noble, D.G. & Baillie, S.R. (2008) The Breeding Bird Survey 2007. BTO Research Report 508. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford.

The Turtle Dove was the species that showed the greatest decline between 1994 and 2007.