Wild Curlew Conservation and Welfare

The curlew is Britain's most urgent bird conservation priority; breeding pairs have declined by 65% since 1970 due to nest failure and habitat loss.

Key Facts

The curlew has the longest bill of any wading bird in Britain, adapted for probing soft upland and estuarine soils.
Breeding population losses have been catastrophic; Northern Ireland has lost over 80% of curlews.
Predation of eggs and chicks by foxes, corvids, and badgers is the primary cause of breeding failure.
Upland drainage for agriculture has destroyed the wet rush pasture curlews require for nesting.
Curlew Country and WWT run nest protection and headstarting programmes with promising results.

Welfare Considerations

Individual curlews face acute welfare threats from nest predation, cold weather during the breeding season, and habitat-driven starvation. Headstarting — incubating eggs artificially and releasing chicks when larger — reduces predation vulnerability but involves careful welfare management of captive chicks to maintain wild behaviour. Adults displaced from traditional territories by habitat change face the stress of finding alternative nesting habitat with unknown quality and predator pressure. The emotional impact of curlew calls in the landscape — beloved by many — makes their decline culturally as well as ecologically significant.

What You Can Do

Support Curlew Country, WWT, and RSPB curlew conservation projects through donation.
Report curlew nesting attempts to local wildlife trusts to enable monitoring and protection.
Advocate for agri-environment scheme payments that support curlew-friendly upland farming.
Engage with nest protection volunteer programmes in curlew breeding areas.