Curlew Nest Protection: Predator Management and Habitat

Eurasian curlew populations are declining rapidly; nest success depends on targeted predator management and sympathetic land management.

Key Facts

The Eurasian curlew is the UK's most threatened breeding bird with populations declining by over 65% since 1970.
Foxes, crows, and badgers are the principal nest predators in lowland farmland and upland fringes.
Nest protection using electric fences has increased fledgling success from below 10% to over 40% in trials.
Curlews are long-lived but slow to mature; even modest annual productivity gains can reverse declines.
Agri-environment schemes that create or restore damp, rushy grassland improve nesting habitat quality.
The Curlew Recovery Partnership coordinates research, monitoring, and management across the UK.

Welfare Considerations

Curlew welfare at the individual level includes the distress of nest failure — a highly stressful event in a species with strong site fidelity. At the population level, continued decline represents a conservation emergency. Land management that balances agricultural productivity with curlew requirements — retaining wet flushes, delaying mowing until after fledging — directly improves reproductive success and population welfare.

What You Can Do

Contact the Curlew Recovery Partnership if curlews are present on or near your land.
Delay grass cutting on fields with nesting curlews until after fledging in July.
Support agri-environment scheme options that create and maintain curlew nesting habitat.
Report curlew sightings and breeding activity to the BTO BirdTrack scheme.