The skylark is one of Britain's most iconic farmland birds, but decades of agricultural intensification have driven steep population declines, raising urgent welfare and conservation concerns.
Skylark welfare is threatened by modern farming practices that remove the habitats and food sources these birds depend on. Ground-nesting exposes eggs and chicks to machinery strike during hay cuts and silage harvests. Starvation during winter is a major welfare concern when stubble fields are ploughed immediately after harvest. Agri-environment schemes that create skylark plots and retain winter stubble can dramatically reduce these welfare impacts.