Not Your Typical Christmas Story
A post about Turtle Doves after Christmas? Yeah, I know…
I actually tried writing this before Christmas, but all I could find was that song (you know the one), some biblical references and a bunch of generic pigeon facts. I did however stumble across the Roman Goddess Fides who I’d never heard of and whose energy was so awesome she got her own post. If you haven’t met Fides yet, you can meet here over on Oracle Insights|Sacred Deities:Fides
Feeling pretty smug about finding a new Goddess for my friend list, I tossed Turtle Dove into my mental trash can and got on with some seasonal celebrations.
But Turtle Dove and the Universe had other plans.
Quick Back Story
I’m currently in Jakarta, Indonesia, where my daily walk consists of circling three tennis courts in my complex twice a day. Not ideal, but without a proper footpath nearby it’s better than navigating 3 lanes of heavy traffic, street vendors and other petrified pedestrians.
I secretly love the hassle of it all, but it takes forever to get anywhere and is doing nothing for my expanding waistline.
Travel Tip
If you are travelling for longer than 2 weeks, consider parking your mantra ‘When in Rome’ because ‘once on your lips, it really is forever on your hips’ – or stomach depending on your body type. Disappointing I know.
Also, having an ‘Aussie Belly’ is not a compliment.
A Dove’s Guide to Getting Your Way
So there I am, doing my morning circles, listening to George Lizos’ Ancient Manifesting Secrets, when a Dove plonks itself down in front of a tennis net. After passing it 3 times, I checked on it – poor thing was so tired it let me touch its foot before flapping off to the corner to rest some more. I thanked it for reminding about my unfinished blog post and carried on walking.
Did I go write after my walk? Nah, I need more than a knackered Dove on a tennis court to get me writing.
It returned for two consecutive days.
Perched high on the fence, no doubt to avoid more unsolicited footsies, it watched me trundle through my paces until I finally caved.
‘Fine! I’ll do the stupid post,’ I yelled at the bird. Then quickly thanked it, just in case it needed to relieve itself.
I totally lied to that Dove. I had already moved onto planning my 2025 projects and had no intentions of revisiting it. But, the Universe had other ideas and yet another Dove up its sleeve.
In episode 6, Season 2 of Elsbeth…Hey NO trolling! It’s not healthy to watch Netflix true crime all the time…one of the clues that led to the identity of the real murderer was drum roll please…a missing stuffed Turtle Dove. You cannot make this up, nor can you ignore a seasonal slap of this proportion.
Well played, Turtle Dove!
Two Turtle Doves, Take Two
I hate to admit it, but if it wasn’t for the persistence of my feathery friend, I wouldn’t have discovered that in ‘Home Alone 2,’ Kevin gives one of his Turtle Dove ornaments to the Bird Lady, saying that as they each have one, they’ll be friends forever (awww).
Quit with the eye rolling – I haven’t seen Home Alone 2 as back in 1992, I was busy doing Big Box, Little Box (raves) across London. And, before you ask, no, I did not wear white gloves.
Thanks again to Turtle Dove, I have also stumbled across the artist Missy Dunaway who has spent a sizeable chunk of her time and talent totting up the number of different birds that appear in Shakespeare’s work, and then illustrating them.
That’s dedication for you!
From Shakespeare to Oracle Cards
If meticulously counting every type of bird mentioned in Shakespeare’s work wasn’t enough, Missy also recorded the number of times each bird appears e.g. the words ‘turtle’ is referenced 14 times and ‘dove’ 19 times. AND, then researched everything there is to know about each and every one of them.
Imagine how many Turtle Doves the Universe must have sent her?!
The result of her mammoth effort is a collection of stunning illustrations that is an Oracle card readers dream come true because not only has she shared her artwork but also the highlights of her research, including their favourite snacks (what on earth are Fumitory seeds?) and the symbolic meaning of each bird.
Did you know that Turtle Doves were thought to symbolise devotion and persistence, even back then? That they were the faithful companions of our very own new bestie Goddess Fides?
How amazing is it that the bird that led me to Missy Dunaway is known for the very same qualities that she clearly embodied to complete ‘The Birds of Shakespeare’. The universe really does work in mysterious ways.
From tennis courts, to Elsbeth, and then the talented Missy Dunaway I promise to pay extra attention to my bird friends – especially the knackered ones.
Also, to double check all contracts before signing.
Animal Insights | Turtle Dove Facts
Physical Characteristics
Streptopelia turtur is a small bird with distinctive patterning and call that belongs to the Columbidae bird family.
With a wingspan of around 47-53cm they are bigger than a Blackbird but smaller than a Wood Pigeon.
They are pretty in pink soft lilacs, greys and oranges.
Habitat & Distribution
Usually found in Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. But, occasionally, they hang out in northern Russia, too.
Call woodlands, hedgerows and shrubs home when they eventually turn up sometime in April.
They are posh birds who prefer to live in the South of England,
Family/Diet/Lifespan
Turtle Doves live for around two years and have one true love unless they end up in someone’s cooking pot.
Love cereal and wildflower seeds, especially chickweed, fumitory and rape seed.
Fumitory is a pretty little plant with leaves that look like grey smoke.
Unique Adaptations
As the only long-distance migratory Dove in Europe, they’re the Ultramarathoners of their family group. They can cover up to 700 km (435 miles) in a single night without stopping!
Both male and females produce crop (pigeon) milk, a protein-rich secretion to feed their young. Am I the only one who didn’t know this?
Turtle Dove | Colours
Turtle Dove | Symbolism & Spiritual Meaning
Symbolic/Spiritual Meaning
Love & devotion
Fidelity & loyalty
Divine Guidance
Peace and harmony
Marital bliss
Hope & renewal
Spiritual/Religious Association
They were often sacrificial offerings, when people couldn’t spare a larger animal. Sad but true.
The Ancient Egyptians believed they were connected to the afterlife and the Soul’s journey.
Leviticus 1..14 mentions the Turtle Dove and Pigeon as representing mourning innocence, powerlessness, meekness, and humility.
Role in Mythology & Folklore
The Greek Goddess Aphrodite loved having her jewel-encrusted, golden chariot pulled by a flock of Turtle Doves.
Doves, in general, were believed by to be messengers from the Gods and Goddesses
Astarte, the Goddess of Love & Fertility, hatched from an egg nursed by a pair of Turtle Doves cementing their Spring connection.
Oracle Associations | Turtle Dove
Fun Trivia
Turtle Doves will employ the
broken wing defence to move predators away from their nests.
Plant Wisdom
- Fumitory – meaning beauty & resilience
- Wheat & Barley – associated with abundance
- Mustard – a symbol of faith in Christianity
Sacred Deities
- Fides
- Demeter
- Aphrodite
- Isis
- Astarte
Spirit Guides
Archangel Gabriel and angels, in general, are often depicted with Doves, but not Turtle Doves specifically.
Crystal Magic
Love and Devotion
- Rose Quartz
- Rhodonite
- Garnet
- Morganite
Celestial Power
- Could not find anything useful.
Animal Insights | Also Worth Knowing
Commercial Impact
After the release of Home Alone 2 – Two Turtle Doves Christmas decorations flew off shop shelves.
Although not the first to add Turtle Doves to love cards, but Esther Howland, a.k.a. ‘Mother of the American Valentine’, began mass-producing cards in the United States around 1847 after receiving a fancy one from the UK and deciding she could do one better. Nice!
I once tried out for a Dove (Soap) advert. I went to get over stage fright. It didn’t work, and I didn’t get the job.
Art & Design
Picasso named his daughter Paloma (Spanish for ‘dove’) in 1949, the same year he created his famous lithograph ‘La Colombe‘ (The Dove)
Not as abstract as some of Picasso’s work Barbara Hepworth and her husband kept doves – her sculpture Doves is one of her earliest.
Not strictly a Turtle Dove – but in 2020 we all got a Dove emoji carrying the message of Peace, just like Picasso’s bird in 1949.
Cultural /Historical Significance
The Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney loved to mention Turtle Doves in his work – he was a bit of a romantic!
Even John Keats wrote about Turtle Doves but he as he saw love as bittersweet his work is a tad heavy hearted.
The Victorians were big bird fanciers – they would add Turtle Doves to love tokens, Valentines & wedding cards and even add them to their Christmas trees.
Check out this!
Want to see more of Missy Dunaway’s stunning Shakespeare bird illustrations?
Visit her website Missy Dunaway and also her CreativeBug tutorials. Her meticulous research and beautiful artwork shows just how much we can discover when we dig deeper into the things that catch our attention, or when birds turn up unexpectedly.