Wildlife

Wild Lapwing Chick Welfare UK

Lapwing chicks are precocial but highly vulnerable in their first weeks of life, dependent on predator-free habitat with invertebrate prey.

Key Facts

Lapwing chicks hatch with downy feathers but cannot fly for about 5 weeks
Predation by foxes, crows and raptors is high during the ground-dependent chick period
Invertebrate-rich damp grassland is essential feeding habitat for chicks
Agricultural drainage and improved grassland have removed key chick habitat
Agri-environment schemes supporting wet grassland management benefit lapwing significantly

Welfare Considerations

Lapwing chick welfare is determined by predation pressure and food availability in the critical ground-dependent period. Wet grassland management creating invertebrate-rich habitat directly improves individual chick welfare. Predator management in key breeding areas reduces mortality for individual chicks and populations.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes maintaining wet grassland for waders
Record lapwing breeding through the BTO Breeding Bird Survey
Advocate for lapwing-friendly management on farmland near water