Wildlife Welfare

Wild Common Blue Butterfly Habitat

Creating and managing habitat for common blue butterflies and the welfare of their caterpillars.

Key Facts

Common blue caterpillars feed almost exclusively on bird's foot trefoil, making this plant critical
Loss of unimproved grassland has drastically reduced common blue habitat across the UK
Common blues have declined by over 50% in the UK since 1976 according to butterfly monitoring data
Warm, south-facing banks and meadows with bird's foot trefoil support dense common blue populations

Welfare Considerations

Common blue butterfly welfare - including caterpillar survival and adult reproductive success - is directly dependent on the availability of their specific larval host plant. Habitat restoration that includes bird's foot trefoil planting provides immediate and sustained welfare benefit.

What You Can Do

Plant bird's foot trefoil in sunny, south-facing garden areas and leave grass uncut
Support wildflower meadow creation and chalk grassland restoration projects
Participate in butterfly monitoring schemes to track common blue population trends