LA TRTOLA COMN ARRULLO DE LA PRIMAVERA Anuncio del buen tiempo, vuelve de frica en los albores de la primavera, instalndose en sotos

y arboledas y proclamando su presencia con su montono y socarrn canto. PRCTICAMENTE. a todos los habitantes del medio rural europeo y tambin a la mayor parte de los visitantes urbanitas asiduos, exceptuando los pases nrdicos y la islas mediterrneas, les basta un par de datos para identificar a nuestro protagonista de hoy, la trtola comn. Por un lado, la visible franja blanca de la cola (bien contrastada con los tonos oscuros adyacentes), que es todo cuanto nos muestra en sus vertiginosos movimientos por la campia, sobre todo si est en trance de huida. Y por otro, el canto, el socarrn y montono arrullo bien diferenciado de los del resto de las palomas. Este sonido, emitido desde un posadero oculto entre el ramaje, anuncia, segn los campesinos castellanos, el buen tiempo generalizado. De ah que sean tan bien recibidos, hasta celebrados, los primeros arrullos, generalmente enmarcados en el mes de abril, Si bien es posible que el paso migratorio cuente con ejemplares tempraneros que viajen en pleno mes de marzo y con otros ms retrasados que lo hacen en mayo o incluso a principios de Junio. A su llegada a los lares de cra tradicionales, la trtola comn, cientficamente denominada Streptopelia turtur, lo primero que hace es delimitar su territorio en funcin de la disponibilidad alimentaria del mismo, de modo que ser tanto ms grande cuanto menor sean los nutrientes encontrados en una preliminar prospeccin. El arrullo citado anteriormente es su forma de hacerlo. Slo cuando otro ejemplar se intente instalar en el mismo tendr lugar la escaramuza, la pelea a golpes de pico y aletazos. Los machos son los encargados de dirimir estas diferencias. Dentro de cada parcela, las parejas de trtolas buscan los emplazamientos ms seguros para sus nidos. Una simple horquilla horizontal o un cruce de ramitas sirve para soportar una estructura realmente simple, a base de races, pajitas o tallos finos. La puesta consiste en dos huevos muy blancos y lisos que precisan quince das de incubacin por parte de ambos adultos. Como todos los pollos de las palomas, los de esta especie nacen recubiertos de finsimos filamentos amarillos que difcilmente recuerdan a plumas o plumones y que ms que aislar es del fro parecen contribuir a su camuflaje entre la fronda. El desarrollo, correctamente alimentados por la tpica leche de paloma en los primeros das y por semillas semidigeridas ms tarde, pone a estos pichones en condiciones de volar en tan slo veinte das. El abandono del nido supone, adems, una pronta rotura de los lazos familiares, quiz por culpa del deseo de los padres por iniciar una nueva crianza. Los calores agosteros, no obstante, marcan el final de los procesos reproductores. Tradicionalmente se considera a esta especie como ave comn y abundante, por lo que est incluida entre las piezas de utilizacin cinegtica. Pero en la actualidad, conforme han comprobado y proclamado numerosos ornitlogos, sus efectivos estn experimentando notabilsimos descensos, que vienen a aconsejar medidas de cautela a las `autoridades encargadas de su conservacin en Europa. JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ Fotos: OBJ. VERDE-NATUREPRESS/ J. L. RODRIGUEZ FICHA DE LA TRTOLA COMN Distribucin Nombre vulgar: Trtola Comn. Nombre Cientfico: Streptopelia turtur Longitud: 28-30 centmetros. Aspecto: Paloma de pequeas dimensiones y coloracin caracterstica, con su mejor exponente en la cola, de tonos oscuros, rematada por una conspicua franja blanca. Las partes superiores son rojizas con manchas negras y collares a cada lado del cuello bastante notables, diseados en franjas blancas y negras muy contrastadas. Patas rosadas. Alimentacin: Granos y semillas fundamentalmente. Reproduccin: De una a tres puestas de dos huevos Cada una, incubados por ambos adultos durante

quince das aproximadamente. Hbitat: Parajes arbolados de todo tipo, con preferencia por los sotos, las choperas y los bosques de tipo Mediterrneo. THE COMMON TURTLEDOVE COOING THE SPRING They herald the good time, as they return from Africa in the beginnings of the Spring, settling in groves and woods and proclaiming their presence with their monotonous and cunning song. PRACTICALLY to all the inhabitants of the European rural locations and to most of the frequent city visitors as well, but the Nordic countries and the Mediterranean islands, it's enough they have a couple of clues to identify today's main character, the common turtledove. On one hand, the visible white fringe of the tail (highly contrasted with the adjacent dark tones) that is all that they show us during their vertiginous movements through the countryside, mainly if it in an escape trance. And on the other, the song, the cunning and monotonous cooing well differentiated from those of the other doves. This sound, emitted from a hidden hole among the foliage, announces, according to the Castilian peasants, the widespread good time. With the result that their first cooings are so well received, even celebrated, generally framed within the month of April, although it is possible that the migratory process has early birds that travel in the middle of March and with other more delayed ones that fly in May or even at the beginning of June. Upon their arrival to the traditional breeding homes, the common turtledove, scientifically called Streptopelia turtur, the first thing they make is to limit their territory in function of the alimentary readiness of the same one, so that it will be so much bigger as much as minor are the nutrients found in a preliminary prospecting. The cooing mentioned previously is their way of doing it. Only when another turtledove tries to settle in the same terrutory a skirmish will ensue, a fight with beak blows and wingbeats. The males are those in charge of settling these differences. Inside each parcel, the couples of turtledoves look for the safest locations for their nests. A simple horizontal fork or a crossing of sprays is good to support a really simple structure, with the help of roots, jackstraws or fine shafts. The setting consists of two very white and flat eggs that you/they specify fifteen days of incubation on the part of both adults. As all of the dove chickens, those of this species are born covered with fine yellow filaments that hardly remind of feathers or down and that rather than insulate them from cold they seem to contribute to their camouflage among the fronds. The development, correctly fed by the typical dove's milk in the first days and by seeds half digested later on, readies these pigeons under conditions of flying in only twenty days. The abandonment of the nest supposes, too, a prompt break of family ties, maybe the fault is on the parents' desire to begin a new upbringing. The heats of August, nevertheless, mark the end of the reproductive processes. Traditionally turtledove is considered a common and abundant species of birds, and due to it these birds are included among the pieces of cynegetic use. But at the present time, as they many ornithologists have checked and proclaimed, their flocks are showing a dwindling so marked that they have come to advise taking measures of caution to the authorities in charge for their conservation in Europe. JOS LUIS RODRIGUEZ Pictures: OBJ. GREEN-NATUREPRESS / J. L. RODRIGUEZ FEATURES OF THE COMMON TURTLEDOVE Distribution Name vulgar: Common turtledove. Name Scientific: Streptopelia turtur Longitude: 28-30 centimeters. Aspect: A dove of small dimensions and characteristic coloration, with their best exponent in the line, of dark tones, finished off by a conspicuous white fringe. The top parts are reddish with black stains and necklaces on each side of a quite remarkable neck, designed in very contrasted white

and black fringes. Rosy legs. Feeding: Grains and seeds fundamentally. Reproduction: From one to three layings of two eggs each and incubated approximately by both adults during fifteen days. Hbitat: Hoisted places of all kinds, with preference for the groves, the chopera trees and the Mediterranean type forests .