Lapwings have declined by 80% in Britain since the 1960s, driven by agricultural intensification that has eliminated their nesting habitat. Recovery requires major changes to how lowland farmland is managed.
Lapwing welfare in agricultural landscapes is severely compromised by the loss of suitable nesting and chick-rearing habitat. Nests laid in spring crops are destroyed by cultivation machinery. Chicks in intensive grassland cannot find the invertebrates they need in the first weeks of life. Predation pressure in landscapes where lapwings are already scarce can tip populations toward local extinction. Recovery requires both habitat management and, in some contexts, predator control -- a welfare trade-off that conservation management must navigate thoughtfully.