The lapwing has declined severely across UK farmland but targeted conservation measures can dramatically improve breeding success and welfare.
Lapwing breeding welfare is affected primarily by the loss of suitable nesting habitat in intensively managed farmland. Adults disturbed from nests by agricultural operations or predators must repeatedly re-incubate, increasing energy expenditure. Chicks that hatch in habitats without sufficient invertebrate prey die from starvation or have insufficient energy reserves to avoid predation. The welfare of both chicks and adults is significantly improved by targeted habitat management that creates the conditions — shallow water, short varied grass, invertebrate-rich sward — in which lapwings can breed successfully. Farms participating in effective agri-environment schemes provide measurably better welfare conditions for nesting lapwings.