The curlew is the UK's most threatened breeding bird, with populations declining by 48% since the 1990s due to nest failure, predation, and habitat loss, raising acute welfare and conservation concerns.
Curlew welfare conservation is an emergency: at current rates of nest failure, UK populations will cease breeding within decades. Individual chick welfare in headstarting programmes requires careful management to prevent imprinting while providing adequate nutrition and stimulation. Adult curlews facing repeated nest failures experience significant energy loss from repeated clutch production. Nest protection programmes using nest guards and predator management directly improve chick survival and adult welfare by enabling successful breeding. Habitat management restoring wet grassland and moorland creates the nesting conditions where curlew can succeed without intensive intervention.