Wetland restoration across the UK is creating new habitat for diverse waterbird species, directly improving welfare by providing nesting, feeding, and refuge habitats that have been dramatically reduced by drainage.
Wetland restoration delivers direct welfare benefits to entire communities of waterbird species by reversing habitat loss that previously constrained population size and individual food security. Bitterns, which became extinct as breeding birds in the UK, have recovered to over 200 males following reedbed restoration at RSPB reserves. Marsh harriers have expanded from a single pair to hundreds. Individual birds breeding in restored wetlands benefit from food security, nesting habitat, and refuge from disturbance that their ancestors lacked in drained agricultural landscapes. The welfare benefit of restored wetland extends through entire food webs - from invertebrates providing prey, to fish, amphibians, and the birds and mammals that feed on them.