Wildlife

Wild Stone Curlew Welfare

Stone curlews are rare breeding birds of chalky grassland and arable areas, with welfare shaped by nest disturbance and food availability.

Key Facts

Stone curlews breed on chalk downland and arable farmland in southern England
UK population is restricted to around 400 pairs
They are cryptically coloured and nest on bare ground or in crop rows
Disturbance from farming operations is the primary cause of nest failure
Agri-environment schemes paying farmers to protect known nest sites have supported recovery

Welfare Considerations

Stone curlew chicks in nests run over by farm machinery die from direct injury. Adult birds disturbed off nests expose eggs and chicks to sun and predation. The combination of nest marking and farmer liaison through agri-environment schemes has directly improved nest survival and individual chick welfare.

What You Can Do

Support stone curlew agri-environment schemes on chalk farmland
Donate to RSPB stone curlew nest protection and monitoring
Advocate for nest protection provisions in arable farming support schemes