Wildlife

Wild Skylark Farmland Welfare and Recovery

Skylarks have declined by over 50% since the 1970s due to agricultural intensification, but targeted farmland management measures can support recovery.

Key Facts

UK skylark populations have fallen from 3 million to under 1.5 million pairs
Winter stubbles and spring fallows provide essential feeding and nesting habitat
Skylark plots - small undrilled areas in cereal fields - provide nesting habitat with good evidence of effectiveness
Autumn-sown cereals create dense swards that prevent ground-nesting by spring
Agri-environment scheme participation has reversed declines on some farms

Welfare Considerations

Agricultural intensification has removed the habitat skylark pairs need to breed successfully. Failed breeding attempts, chick starvation, and winter food shortage cause ongoing welfare costs to individual birds. Skylark plots require only small areas of unharvested crop per field but significantly increase breeding success. The welfare benefit of enabling successful reproduction and chick survival is substantial at the population level.

What You Can Do

Advocate for skylark plot requirements in agri-environment scheme options
Support GWCT and RSPB farmland bird recovery programmes
Choose products from farms participating in higher-tier agri-environment agreements