Avocets that winter on UK estuaries face welfare challenges from disturbance at key roost sites and food availability during cold weather.
Wintering avocet welfare depends on access to undisturbed estuarine habitat with adequate invertebrate food. High tide roost sites are particularly vulnerable to disturbance from beach walkers and dogs. Flushed roosting birds expend energy that should be allocated to thermoregulation. Cold weather reduces invertebrate activity and accessibility in mud, increasing foraging time required for adequate food intake. Conservation management protecting key roost and feeding areas from disturbance during winter directly reduces welfare costs for individual birds. Monitoring winter avocet populations provides data on the success of breeding populations and conservation management.