Lapwings are ground-nesting farmland birds whose populations have crashed by over 50% in the UK since the 1970s, with modern farming practices being the primary driver of decline.
Lapwing chicks that are exposed or whose nests are destroyed by farm machinery suffer directly. Adults abandoning failed nesting attempts and re-nesting multiple times experience energy stress. Population declines mean fewer individuals are experiencing successful breeding and the associated welfare of raising young. Targeted management - delayed cutting, wet flashes, predator management - benefits individual welfare and population recovery.