The curlew is one of Europes most rapidly declining wading birds. UK breeding populations have fallen by over 65% since the 1970s, making it a conservation and welfare priority of the highest urgency.
Curlews that fail to breed repeatedly experience the loss of a fundamental biological drive. Nest failure from predation is traumatic and energetically costly as birds must abandon significant investment in eggs or chicks. Adults injured by agricultural machinery during ground-nesting suffer acute trauma. The progressive loss of wet grassland habitat forces birds into marginal habitats where foraging is less efficient and welfare outcomes are poorer.