Operation Turtle Dove is a collaboration between RSPB, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, Fair to Nature and Natural England (click here) which aims to improve the dire status of Turtle Dove’s in the UK.
On its website the four bodies say:
Operation Turtle Dove is aware of reports of individuals and groups releasing captive-bred Turtle Doves. Whilst well intentioned, we do not currently support the release of captive-bred Turtle Doves as a conservation measure.
… and go on to list what they see as problems for this private project. I agree with them.
I notice that this interesting swipe has not received much publicity and wonder whether that might be because the reintroduction is said to have support from large, influential and well-known landowners in West Norfolk.
Natural England is a partner in Operation Turtle Dove and has just canned its own poorly-judged reintroduction project – of Hen Harriers (click here).
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Wouldn’t we all love to see and hear more Turtle Doves! However, I’m also suspicious of reintroducing captive bred migratory birds.
TDs seem to have three migration routes to the Sahel – W, E & Central. The need to migrate is likely adaptive triggered by day-length, but the surely the favoured route is learned from experience and parents/peers and modified (and re-learned) if environmental conditions dictate it.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-021-03082-5 suggests the developmental nature of chosen route.
Surely it should be obvious to any conservationist that there a significant risk that captive-bred birds (likely originating from a country east of the UK) will fail to find their optimum migration and return routes and without suitable food and habitat will simply perish in winter as OP TD suggest?