Hedgerow Habitat and Wildlife Welfare

Hedgerows are among the UK's most important wildlife habitats, providing food, shelter, nesting and movement corridors for a vast range of species.

Key Facts

The UK has approximately 400,000 km of hedgerows, but 50% have been lost since 1950
Hedgerows support over 600 plant species, 1,500 insect species, 65 bird species and 20 mammal species
Poorly managed hedgerows - cut too frequently or too severely - provide little wildlife value
The Hedgerows Regulations 1997 provide some protection for important hedgerows but enforcement is limited
Hedgerow management timing matters enormously: cutting during the nesting season (March-August) is illegal and harmful

Welfare Considerations

For many small mammals, birds and invertebrates, hedgerows are literally life-support systems providing food, shelter and safe movement routes across agricultural landscapes. Their removal or degradation forces animals into unsuitable habitat, increases predation risk and reduces access to food. The systematic loss of hedgerows from UK farmland has contributed to the dramatic declines of species including turtle dove, yellowhammer, hedgehog and many invertebrate pollinators.

What You Can Do

Support the Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes that pay farmers to manage hedgerows well
Advocate for hedgerow restoration targets in national and local biodiversity action plans
Never cut hedgerows during the nesting season and encourage neighbouring landowners not to do so
Plant a new hedgerow using native species if you have garden or land space
Report illegal hedgerow removal to your local planning authority