Wading Birds in Farmland Habitats

Lapwing, redshank, snipe, and curlew have suffered dramatic declines on UK farmland; targeted management of wet grassland and field margins can reverse their losses.

Key Facts

UK curlew populations have declined by over 65% since the 1970s
Lapwing have declined by over 50% on farmland in the same period
Wet grassland with tussocky areas provides nesting and chick-rearing habitat for wading birds
Predator management on reserves significantly improves wading bird nesting success
Agri-environment scheme payments for wet grassland management are among the most cost-effective bird conservation interventions

Welfare Considerations

Farmland wading birds face a combination of threats that have delivered catastrophic population declines over 50 years. Drainage of wet grassland removes the invertebrate-rich mud and shallow water that chicks need for feeding. Predator pressure on ground-nesting birds has increased as fox and crow populations grow with reduced persecution. Early silage cutting destroys active nests. Individual birds that lose nests to farming operations experience the acute stress of failed breeding and must attempt replacement clutches with reduced time and energy reserves. Targeted interventions at key sites can arrest declines and support populations of individual birds that would otherwise fail to breed.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes requiring wet grassland creation and management for wading birds
Donate to conservation organisations running targeted wading bird recovery programmes
Advocate for appropriate predator management in designated wading bird habitats
Report wading bird sightings to national monitoring schemes
Raise awareness about the catastrophic farmland wading bird declines and their causes