Wildlife Welfare

Wild Nesting Farmland Birds Machinery

Agricultural machinery kills millions of nesting farmland birds annually through nest destruction during grass cutting and crop harvesting. Technology and protocols can significantly reduce this mortality.

Key Facts

Skylark, lapwing, yellow wagtail, and curlew are among species most at risk from machinery
Silage cutting in May and June coincides with peak nesting periods for many farmland birds
Flushing bars fitted to cutting machines reduce but do not eliminate bird and mammal mortality
Radar-based wildlife detection systems are in development to alert operators to wildlife ahead
Cutting from centre-outward allows birds to escape rather than being driven toward the machine

Welfare Considerations

Birds nesting in grass and arable crops face death or serious injury from agricultural machinery, while chicks too young to fly cannot escape. This mortality causes immediate suffering for killed and injured individuals, and reproductive failure that contributes to population declines. Operational protocols including centre-outward cutting and use of flushing bars directly reduce individual welfare suffering.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes that delay cutting to allow nesting completion
Advocate for flushing bar requirements in farm welfare schemes
Learn about and promote wildlife-friendly field management practices