Wildlife

Wild Curlew Recovery Programme Welfare

Curlew recovery programmes involving cross-fostering, head-starting and habitat management aim to reverse one of the UK's fastest avian declines.

Key Facts

Head-starting (collecting eggs from nests, rearing chicks, releasing pre-fledging) has been trialled across England
Cross-fostering curlew eggs into lapwing nests uses available foster parents on suitable habitat
Head-started birds show similar survival to wild-reared birds in some trials
Welfare protocols in head-starting programmes minimise imprinting and human habituation
Habitat restoration including wet grassland creation is the most cost-effective long-term intervention

Welfare Considerations

Curlew recovery interventions balance individual welfare costs during captive rearing against population benefit. Welfare protocols that minimise imprinting and maximise survival are fundamental to ethical head-starting.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB Curlew Recovery Programme through donation or volunteering
Advocate for wet grassland creation and farmland management supporting curlew breeding
Record curlew sightings through BTO surveys to contribute to population trend monitoring