Wading Bird Wetland Habitat Restoration

Restoring wet grassland and shallow wetland habitats is essential for the recovery of declining UK wading birds.

Key Facts

Lapwing, curlew, redshank and snipe have declined by over 60% on UK lowland farmland since the 1970s
Drainage of wet grasslands for intensive agriculture has removed critical nesting and feeding habitat
RSPB and Wildlife Trust reserves demonstrate that habitat restoration can rapidly restore wading bird numbers
Agri-environment scheme payments are available for water table management and rush pasture maintenance
Predator management is required alongside habitat restoration in many locations

Welfare Considerations

Breeding failure from habitat loss leads to years of reproductive effort with no survival of chicks. Adults experience the stress of repeated nest failures. Habitat restoration creates conditions where chicks can find food, hide from predators and fledge successfully, directly improving individual and population welfare.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB nature reserves and wader conservation programmes through membership
Advocate for agri-environment scheme payments for wet grassland and rush pasture maintenance
Record wading bird sightings with BTO WeBS and Breeding Bird Survey
Volunteer with local wildlife trusts on wader habitat restoration projects