Wildlife

Wild UK Migratory Wader Welfare

Conservation and welfare of migratory waders stopping in UK wetlands, including dunlin, knot, and bar-tailed godwit.

Key Facts

UK estuaries host millions of migratory waders during passage and winter periods
Bar-tailed godwits migrate non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand and back via UK staging sites
Estuary habitat loss including reclamation and disturbance reduces food availability
Human disturbance causes waders to flush repeatedly, draining energy reserves
Climate change is affecting invertebrate availability at key estuary feeding sites

Welfare Considerations

Migratory wader welfare at UK estuaries depends on undisturbed access to energy-rich invertebrate food. Birds that arrive from long migration legs with depleted reserves need to feed intensively without disturbance. Each flushing incident represents an unnecessary energy cost for already-stressed birds.

What You Can Do

Keep dogs on leads on estuaries during wader feeding seasons
Maintain minimum distances from wader flocks especially in winter
Support estuarine habitat conservation and Ramsar wetland protection