As part of this project, flower-rich fallow fields are being tested using a mixture of seed-rich plants to increase food availability for threatened seed-eating species such as the Eurasian Turtle Dove.

The fields are no longer as teeming with life as they once were. Many birds, once naturally found on farmland, now face a shortage of food and shelter. The Eurasian Turtle Dove is heavily dependent on the availability of seeds from the moment it arrives in our latitudes in late April. This and other species are suffering from the disappearance of what is known as “arvense flora”—the collection of wild plants that grow primarily in cultivated fields.

Other seed-eating birds, particularly finches and buntings, are affected by the lack of food availability, especially during the winter. Stubble, crop residues, or standing plants—which in the past helped them survive the cold season—have largely disappeared due to modern agricultural practices. The consequences are clear: fewer bird species, smaller populations, and declining biodiversity.