Turtle dove is a national first-class protected animal.

Turtledove is a national "three haves" protected animal.

"Three-owned" protected animals refer to the list of terrestrial wild animals with important ecological, scientific and social values.

Turtledove is a kind of bird belonging to the genus Turtledove, also known as white-necked turtledove, which is one of the endemic birds in China. Turtledove is about 32 cm long and has a wingspan of 60 cm. Its back is light gray, its head and neck are white, there are black stripes on both sides of its neck, its waist and tail are apricot yellow, and there is a long black stripe in the center of its tail.

Turtle dove is a seasonal migratory bird, which is mostly distributed in Jiangsu and Anhui in winter. Generally, it breeds from March to July, spawning 2~3 eggs each time, and the incubation period is 16~ 18 days. Turtledove is alert by nature, often active at night, and easily disturbed by human activities, so it has become one of the "three-owned" protected animals in the country.

Common subspecies of turtledove:

1. Dowd Turtledove:

The habitats distributed in the area from Hangzhou to Suzhou, north of Qiantang River, are large in appearance and light in color, especially the abdomen is white.

2. northern turtledove:

Distributed in northern China, it mainly feeds on seeds and insects and is a common subspecies of turtledove.

3. Red-breasted turtledove:

Mainly distributed in the Indian subcontinent and its surrounding areas, in which the chest and throat are red and the overall color is bright.

4. Turtledove:

Distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia, it feeds on seeds, grains and fruits.

5. Black-necked turtledove:

Distributed in China, Mongolia and Russia, it is named after the black feathers on the upper neck and chest.

6. Brown turtledove:

Originated in Africa and now widely distributed in Eurasia, it is an omnivorous bird with strong adaptability.

7. White-bellied turtledove:

This subspecies is distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia, with dark gray back and tail and white abdomen.

8. Little Turtledove:

Distributed in Africa, South Asia and other places, it is small in size and often feeds on various grains and seeds.