Wildlife

Wild Lapwing Chick Mobility

Lapwing chicks are mobile from hatching and their welfare depends on access to short invertebrate-rich sward within reach of the nest.

Key Facts

Lapwing chicks walk within hours of hatching
Chick welfare depends on finding adequate invertebrate food
Long vegetation prevents chick access to feeding areas
Field boundary features create refuges from predation
Diverse field structure management improves chick survival

Welfare Considerations

Lapwing chicks in fields with long vegetation or poor invertebrate availability face starvation in their first critical weeks. Creating diverse sward structure with short grazed areas adjacent to longer vegetation provides both feeding habitat and predator refuge.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment management creating diverse sward for lapwing
Donate to lapwing conservation and monitoring
Advocate for field structure diversity in farming subsidies