Wildlife Welfare

Wild Lapwing Farmland Conservation Welfare

Lapwing populations have declined severely in lowland farmland, with agricultural intensification the primary driver of nest and chick failure.

Key Facts

UK lapwing populations declined by 49% between 1995 and 2019
Lapwing nest in open fields and are highly vulnerable to agricultural machinery
Nest protection schemes including plot markers reduce machinery losses
Chick survival depends on insect availability that has declined with pesticide use
Agri-environment schemes providing short grass and wet areas improve lapwing welfare

Welfare Considerations

Individual lapwing suffer through nest destruction, chick starvation from insect shortages, and predation in degraded habitats. Conservation measures including agri-environment schemes and nest protection directly reduce individual bird mortality and improve welfare by restoring suitable breeding habitat. Each successful lapwing breeding season reflects welfare improvements for individual birds.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes that include lapwing-specific measures
Volunteer with RSPB lapwing protection programmes on farmland
Advocate for pesticide reduction policies that restore insect prey for chicks