Protecting curlew nests from predation and agricultural disturbance is the most critical conservation intervention for this rapidly declining UK breeding bird.
Individual curlew welfare during nesting is affected by predator-induced nest failure causing repeated re-laying stress, agricultural disturbance resulting in nest destruction, and the death of partially incubated eggs or mobile chicks in mowing events. Chicks that escape initial mowing are often left separated from parents in a degraded landscape they are too young to navigate safely. Nest protection measures — both physical deterrents and management agreements with farmers — directly reduce these welfare events. Headstarting programmes remove eggs for artificial incubation, protecting them from nest failure at the cost of reduced parental bonding, and release hand-reared chicks with varying success. The welfare evidence for headstarting remains mixed.