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In recent decades, a general decline in Palearctic-African migrant birds has been recorded over large areas of the Palearctic. The European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur has undergone a rapid and serious decline across its European range, to the extent that it was categorised as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2015. In this review, I synthesise the scientific literature currently available on the Turtle-dove in North Africa S. t. arenicola. I also discuss current knowledge, highlight gaps in data and outline high-priority research guidelines, while attempting to direct research efforts more effectively and to encourage appropriate and sustainable management strategies. Priorities for future research are concentrated in five key areas: (i) demography, (ii) migration, (iii) ecology, (iv) genetics, and (v) parasites and diseases. Setting up an integrated programme of long-term ecological monitoring in North African farmland and woodlands, as well as integrating new technologies into monitoring programmes, is an urgent need. These programmes should be standardised in all countries along the migratory flyway to produce comparable data. Scientific collaboration among research institutions, on national, regional and international scales, should be coordinated for maximum efficacy of the monitoring and research programmes. Key words: agricultural areas, fruit-trees, man-made environment, Morocco, north Africa, Streptopelia turtur arenicola. RESUMEN.-En las últimas décadas se ha registrado un declive generalizado de las aves migratorias paleártico-africanas en grandes áreas del Paleártico. La tórtola europea Streptopelia turtur ha sufrido un declive severo y rápido por toda su área de distribución europea, hasta el punto de que se ha categorizado como "Vulnerable" en la lista roja de la UICN en 2015. En esta revisión sintetizo la literatura

Background: Until recently little was known about factors affecting reproductive parameters of the Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) on intensively cultivated farmland in the Mediterranean area. In this study, the reproductive parameters of this game species were evaluated in relation to location, orchard type, laying period and nest position in central Morocco. Methods: A total of 317 nests were found and analyzed across five breeding seasons (2004-2008) in the Haouz and Tadla regions, over two major agro-ecosystems made up of olive and orange orchards. Nest position, laying period, clutch size and the number of chicks hatched and fledged per nest were determined on 120 study plots. I used Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with a Poisson distribution and a log link function, including the logarithm of the number of eggs in each clutch as an offset to model the number of chicks hatched and fledged per nest. Results: Clutch-size was not affected by location, orchard type, laying period or nest position. The number of chicks hatched per nest differed between orchard types; they were greater in olive orchards (1.33 ± 0.06) than in orange ones (1.03 ± 0.08), whereas the number of chicks fledged per nest consistently differed with laying period and orchard type, which were higher in the early laying period (1.22 ± 0.07) than in the late period (0.93 ± 0.08) and higher in olive orchards (1.22 ± 0.06) than in orange orchards (0.90 ± 0.06). Neither location nor nest position were related to variation in the fledging success of the Turtle Dove. Conclusions: Olive orchards and the early laying period confer better nesting conditions than orange orchards and the late laying period. Although nest position could be different in each orchard type, it did not affect the breeding success of the Turtle Dove, suggesting that factors other than tree characteristics are influential. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of the effects of anthropogenic disturbance, especially agricultural activities and hunting, on the productivity of Turtle Dove nests.

Studies of niche partitioning among Columbidae species have mainly addressed food habits and foraging activities, while partitioning in relation to nest‐niche differentiation has been little studied. The recent expansion of Laughing dove Streptopelia senegalensis distribution throughout Morocco has raised concerns regarding its effects on native species, particularly Turtle doves S. turtur. The study, conducted in May 2008 and 2009, attempted to determine the factors that may play a role in nest‐niche differentiation among the two sympatric dove species in the Tadla's agricultural area (central Morocco). I used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to test the relevance of nest placement and human presence variables in the nest distribution of the two species. The results show substantial niche segregation in the olive nest‐trees selected by Turtle and Laughing doves, with selection depending primarily on human presence and, to a lesser extent, the vertical distribution of nests. Observed nest‐niche partitioning may diminish the potential for competition between these species and enhance opportunities for their coexistence. I further suggest guidelines for future studies that seek to understand the spatio‐temporal dynamics of Laughing and Turtle dove coexistence in the region.

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