Whimbrel are medium-sized waders that migrate through Britain in spring and autumn, with a small breeding population in Shetland. Their welfare is threatened by hunting on migration and habitat loss.
Whimbrel welfare is threatened across their annual cycle. On Shetland breeding grounds, predation by great skuas and ravens reduces breeding success. During migration, hunting in Barbados and other Caribbean islands causes direct mortality - whimbrel are legally shot as game in some countries through which they pass. On African wintering grounds, habitat degradation and drought reduce food availability. The combination of threats across the flyway makes population recovery difficult without coordinated international action.