Stone Curlew Welfare: Breckland Arable Farming and Ground Nesting

The stone curlew is one of Britain's most distinctive ground-nesting birds, adapted to open, stony ground. Agricultural partnerships have driven its recovery in the Breckland region of East Anglia.

Key Facts

UK stone curlew population was at historic lows in the 1980s but has recovered to over 400 pairs
Stone curlews nest on open, stony or sandy ground with very short or sparse vegetation
The species is migratory, arriving from North Africa in March and departing in September-October
Nests are extremely cryptic - eggs and chicks are almost invisible against bare ground
Agricultural partnerships through the RSPB and Natural England protect known nest sites during cultivation

Welfare Considerations

Stone curlews nesting in arable fields face acute risk from agricultural operations during the breeding season. Ploughing or drilling operations that pass over nests cause direct mortality of eggs and incubating adults that cannot escape quickly enough. Adults that successfully protect their nests from agricultural operations still face disturbance from machinery noise and vibration that causes repeated flushing from the nest. Repeated disturbance reduces incubation efficiency and leaves eggs exposed to temperature extremes and aerial predation. The partnership model that informs farmers of nest locations and agrees cultivations around them has proven highly effective at reducing these welfare costs.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB Stone Curlew Conservation Project in the Breckland and Wessex Downs
Advocate for maintenance of agricultural partnership programmes under post-Brexit farming support
Choose products from farms participating in agri-environment schemes in stone curlew range areas
Report stone curlew sightings to local bird monitoring schemes
Support land management that maintains open, stony habitat in stone curlew strongholds