Turtle dove flies towards extinction as numbers halve in UK

Bird suffers 51% decline over five years but some species show signs of recovery

The turtle dove, Britain's most endangered bird, continues to plummet towards extinction, its numbers having halved over five years, according to the latest data.

The turtle dove's 51% decline from 2013 to 2017 is the most drastic of a continuing slump for a quarter of farmland bird species.