The whimbrel is a passage migrant through Britain in spring and autumn, with a tiny breeding population in Shetland, and its welfare spans the globe from sub-Arctic breeding grounds to African wintering areas across a heavily hunted migration route.
Whimbrel welfare is severely threatened by legal hunting on migration routes, which kills thousands of birds annually. Conservation organisations have campaigned for hunting moratoriums in Portugal and the Caribbean with mixed success. UK breeding populations in Shetland depend on intact upland blanket bog and coastal heath. Climate change threatens both Shetland breeding habitat and the quality of migration staging areas. International cooperation across the flyway is essential for effective welfare improvement.