Grassland Restoration and Ground-Nesting Bird Welfare

Ground-nesting birds including skylarks, lapwings, and curlews have suffered catastrophic declines from agricultural intensification, with welfare impacts at both individual and population levels.

Key Facts

UK skylark populations have declined over 50% since the 1970s
Curlew populations in England have declined 65% since 1970 — among the most threatened breeding birds in Europe
Agricultural intensification including early silage cutting destroys ground nests during hatching
Lapwing pairs that lose nests may not successfully re-nest — each failure has lasting fitness costs
Traditional hay meadows managed for late cutting support dramatically higher densities of ground-nesting birds

Welfare Considerations

Ground-nesting bird welfare is threatened primarily by timing conflicts with modern agriculture. Early silage cutting destroys active nests and kills chicks. Deep cultivation damages nests. Pesticides eliminate insect prey needed for chick growth. Individual welfare impacts of nest loss — failed reproduction, pair bond disruption, energetic cost of relaying — accumulate across populations. Agri-environment schemes that pay farmers to delay cutting, leave unmanaged field margins, and restore traditional hay meadow management simultaneously benefit individual birds and population recovery. Farm-level welfare investments have landscape-scale impacts.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes and farm subsidy programs that reward late cutting and margin management
Donate to RSPB, BTO, and curlew recovery programs working with farmers
Advocate for agricultural policy that rewards wildlife-friendly farming practices
Visit and support farms participating in wildlife-friendly farming schemes
Record ground-nesting bird sightings to contribute to population monitoring efforts