Turtle doves can be seen almost everywhere in rural areas, especially as the ecological environment has recovered in recent years, and the number of these birds has increased. But some people say that eating turtle doves is very harmful. Why is this? Can turtle doves be eaten? Let’s find out together!
It is a misunderstanding that turtle doves cannot build nests.
The author has seen turtle dove nests several times, once in a dead tree on the mountain behind my hometown. Once, I was on the window sill of a rented house in the city. A pair of turtle doves built a nest on the air-conditioning unit next to the window sill, and I was lucky enough to witness the process of laying and hatching their eggs.
At that time, I was not sure that they were turtle doves, until I saw that they were all in pairs, and they all had a small spot on their necks. I was sure that they were not wild pigeons but turtle doves, because this is also the most effective way to distinguish turtle doves from wild pigeons.
In fact, due to changes in the urban environment in recent years, many turtle doves have no nesting environment, and they basically choose to build their nests in air-conditioned spaces in high-rise buildings, or near window sills. It can be seen that turtle doves can also build nests. It is actually a misunderstanding to say that doves occupy magpie nests.
Those who have seen turtle dove nests should know that the nests of birds such as turtle doves are relatively simple. They are often just dozens of branches simply put together. If it were not for the eggs or turtle doves inside, it would not look like a bird's nest at all.
Among the people, it is believed that turtle doves cannot build nests. There are several reasons: The location where the first turtle dove nested was very hidden.
Turtle doves' nests are usually on trees tens of meters high. They are about 20 meters above the ground and are difficult to find on the ground. At the same time, some turtle doves prefer trees with thorns for their own safety, which makes their nests more difficult to discover.
The second is that some turtle doves do occupy abandoned magpie nests.
Magpies are masters at building nests. Their nests usually have three or four floors. They look rough on the outside but are very luxurious on the inside. Some turtle doves will choose abandoned magpie nests to make their homes when they have no time to build their nests or their nests are destroyed. Some even lay eggs directly in the magpie's nest and let the magpie help hatch them.
The third reason is that there is a bird that looks very similar to the turtle dove, and it has the habit of occupying the nests of other birds. The ancients did not know much about this, so the turtle dove took the blame.
Experts in bird research pointed out that this bird is most likely a cuckoo, because many birds in the family Cuckoo family do not have the habit of building nests. In order to reproduce, they lay their eggs directly in the nests of other birds, allowing them to hatch and "bring up their babies." The most amazing thing about
is that they will push each other's eggs out of the nest and drop them for the sake of their own babies. This kind of behavior is really "not ethical".
Why is it said that eating turtle doves is very harmful?
Turtle doves are relatively common birds in rural areas and cities. They are large and look like pigeons. They like to appear in pairs. They are not afraid of humans at all and will only fly away when you get close. In recent years, some people have said that eating turtle doves is very harmful, and there is a reason.
First of all, among the people, the turtle dove is an auspicious bird, and it is a very auspicious thing for the turtle dove to enter the house. Turtle doves are birds that insist on monogamy. They are very loving couples. They not only build nests together, hatch their children together, but also take care of their children together. The vast majority of turtle doves have one partner throughout their lives.
Therefore, the turtle dove not only symbolizes loyal love, but also is believed to be a very spiritual bird among the people. In the author's hometown, there is a saying that turtle doves cannot be harmed when they enter the house, because this means that the family's financial resources will increase, and it means that the wealth and fortune of the entire family will be better, so naturally it cannot be harmed.
Secondly, turtle doves also have an irreplaceable position in nature.
Although the turtle dove is a small bird, it plays an important role in nature because it has an important influence and role on the development of agriculture and forestry economy. It is particularly worth mentioning that the number of turtle doves is also an important indicator of my country's natural environment. It can be said that turtle doves cannot live without the natural environment, and the natural environment also needs turtle doves.
Because turtle doves are omnivorous birds, their food sources are very wide. Fruits, seeds of various plants, and various insects are their prey. Among these bugs, many are pests. Therefore, if the number of turtle doves decreases, pests will increase, which will cause great harm to agriculture and forestry.
At the same time, turtle doves are also a food source for many wild cats, snakes, raptors and other animals. If their numbers are insufficient, the number of turtle doves’ natural enemies will also decrease. It is also because of its irreplaceable importance that the turtle dove is now a "three existence" animal. This means that any form of hunting and trafficking of turtle doves is strictly prohibited, otherwise they will be severely punished by the law.
The last point is that the living environment of turtle doves in the wild is very harsh, and the food they eat is relatively mixed, including all kinds of bugs. In this way, turtle doves may carry various parasites , or viruses .
Because turtle doves have coexisted with these viruses and parasites for a long time, and have evolved strong resistance, viruses are not harmful to turtle doves, but if we humans eat them, it will be a health hazard. Also from a health perspective, eating turtle doves can be very harmful.
is written at the back
In short, many wild animals are not suitable for consumption now, which is also responsible for our own health. After all, with the development of the times, the environment has changed a lot, and some viruses will also continue to evolve.
So we can no longer look at the problem as we did a few decades ago. In the past, many people did eat turtle doves, but now we have to change this idea. If you really want to eat it, you can buy artificially bred ones.
