Lapwing Welfare and Farmland Bird Decline

Lapwings have declined dramatically on UK farmland due to agricultural intensification eliminating nesting habitat and chick food sources.

Key Facts

UK lapwing populations declined by 50% between 1970 and 2014
They need short, tussocky grassland with wet areas for successful breeding
Chicks require invertebrate-rich wet areas within their first few weeks
Early silage cutting and drainage of wet areas have eliminated habitat
Lapwings make elaborate distraction displays to protect nests from predators

Welfare Considerations

Lapwing chicks drowning in drainage channels represent an avoidable welfare harm documented on intensively farmed land. Nests destroyed by tillage or mechanical operations cause acute egg and chick mortality. Adults performing intense distraction displays experience stress responses while protecting threatened nests. The loss of wet areas eliminates the invertebrate prey chicks require, causing starvation mortality even when nests successfully hatch. Landscape-scale habitat loss means welfare harms occur at a population level.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes that restore wet grassland and scrapes
Create wetland areas on agricultural or garden land
Advocate for sustainable drainage systems that maintain wet habitat features
Donate to RSPB or Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust lapwing programs
Support evidence-based predator management where it benefits lapwing breeding success