Wild Curlew Breeding Welfare and Conservation

Curlew are the UK's most urgently threatened breeding bird - breeding success has collapsed across much of their range.

Key Facts

UK breeding curlew have declined by over 48% since 1995
They are now listed as a priority species for conservation action
Curlew lay 4 eggs in ground nests vulnerable to predators, agricultural machinery, and flooding
Chick survival is critically low across most of the UK range outside managed reserves
Conservation interventions including nest protection, predator management, and agri-environment support help
Wales, northern England, and parts of Scotland hold the largest remaining breeding populations

Welfare Considerations

Curlew breeding welfare crisis is fundamentally a landscape-scale problem driven by agricultural intensification, afforestation of upland breeding areas, and predator pressure. Individual nest protection measures help but cannot substitute for landscape-scale habitat improvement. The welfare of curlew chicks in unmanaged landscapes is severely compromised.

What You Can Do

Support Curlew Country, RSPB, and Wildlife Trust curlew recovery projects
Donate to curlew conservation organisations running nest protection programmes
Advocate for agri-environment scheme options specifically supporting curlew breeding habitats
Report curlew breeding sightings to local wildlife groups for monitoring
Learn about curlew ecology and share the conservation message with others