Golden plovers breed on upland moorland and face welfare challenges from predation pressure, habitat management, and climate-driven changes to their prey.
Golden plover chick welfare directly depends on crane fly availability in the first weeks of life. As climate change reduces crane fly abundance in warming uplands, chick survival rates fall - the welfare impact of food shortage manifests as progressive starvation that can kill entire broods. Maintaining wet, intact blanket bog through blocking drainage channels preserves crane fly habitat that underpins golden plover chick welfare.