Ground-nesting shorebirds are highly vulnerable during breeding season. Human disturbance, predation, and habitat loss cause nest failure and chick mortality that represent significant welfare losses.
The welfare of nesting shorebirds is acutely vulnerable to human behavior. A lapwing or curlew sitting tight on eggs will flush at close approach, exposing eggs to chilling and detection by predators. Repeated disturbance during incubation leads to nest abandonment. Chicks, once hatched, are precocial but depend on parental brooding to survive cold snaps — disturbance that separates chicks from parents during cold weather causes hypothermia and death. Beach-nesting species face particular pressure from recreational use of coastal habitats during summer. Simple awareness of nesting seasons and maintaining distance from nesting areas meaningfully reduces individual welfare harm and population-level losses.