A gift gone awry... What does one do with 22 Turtle-doves? (11 days of Christmas x 2 Turtle-doves) The European Turtle-dove is a migratory species with a southern Palearctic range, including Europe, Turkey and north Africa; it winters in southern Africa. While there are approximately 20,000,000 - 100,000,000 Mature individuals (birdlife.org), according to the State of Europe's Common Birds 2007 report, the Turtle Dove population in Europe has drastically fallen by 62% in recent years. This is partly because changed farming practices mean that the weed seeds and shoots on which it feeds, especially Fumitory, are scarcer. The population drop is also partly due to shooting of birds during migration in Mediterranean countries. The arrival in spring is heralded by its purring song, a rather deep, vibrating “turrr, turrr”, from which the bird's name is derived. Despite the identical spelling, the "turtle" of the name, derived from Latin turtur, has no connection with the reptile, "turtle" in that case coming originally from Late Latin tortuca. The Turtle Dove, one of the latest migrants, rarely appears in Northern Europe before the end of April, returning south again in September, but is often seen in April. Biblical references (especially the well-known verse from the Song of Songs), along with its mournful voice, and the fact that it forms strong pair bonds, Turtle Doves have become emblems of devoted love. In the New Testament, a two turtle doves are mentioned to have been sacrificed for the Birth of Jesus In Renaissance Europe the Turtle Dove was envisaged as the devoted partner of the phoenix. Robert Chester's poem Love's Martyr is a sustained exploration of this symbolism. It was published along with other poems on the subject, including William Shakespeare's poem "The Phoenix and the Turtle" (where "turtle" refers to the turtle dove). Turtle Doves also feature in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas", as the gift "my true love gives to me" on the second day of Christmas; by the end of the song, she ends up with 22 of them. Models: Reading Room, V4, Casual Clothes, Armasala Hair (DAZ), Xmas tree (Walli/Cornucopia) and Turtle-doves (me)