The ring ouzel is a migratory thrush of rocky upland valleys whose welfare is threatened by habitat changes and the impacts of livestock grazing on breeding sites.
Ring ouzel chick welfare depends on access to worm-rich short-grazed pasture adjacent to rocky nest sites. Overgrazing degrades this habitat while undergrazing allows tall vegetation to reduce foraging efficiency. Climate change is altering the timing of invertebrate emergence relative to chick development, creating synchrony mismatches.