Avocets returned to breed in the UK in 1947 after an absence of over a century, and now nest at managed coastal wetlands and lagoons where water levels and predator management are carefully controlled.
Avocet welfare at breeding sites depends on active habitat management to maintain shallow water levels ideal for chick foraging and to control predators including foxes and corvids. Without this management, breeding success drops dramatically. The welfare of individual chicks is directly linked to the quality of site management by reserve staff.