The avocet, symbol of RSPB conservation, recovered from extinction as a UK breeding bird through wetland restoration and protection. Their welfare needs and habitat requirements illustrate conservation success.
Avocet welfare success stories illustrate what targeted habitat management can achieve for individual birds. A pair breeding at a well-managed reserve with appropriate water levels, minimal disturbance and managed predator pressure has dramatically better welfare outcomes than one attempting to breed at a degraded or disturbed site. The creation of coastal lagoons through managed realignment and freshwater control has provided habitat that directly improves individual avocet welfare by reducing chick exposure to tidal flooding and providing suitable feeding conditions throughout the breeding season.