Skylarks are iconic farmland birds that have declined severely and whose welfare depends on agricultural management changes supporting their nesting and foraging needs.
Skylark welfare is primarily compromised during the breeding season by crop density that prevents nest access and foraging. Autumn-sown winter wheat becomes too dense for nesting skylarks, while spring-sown cereals provide more open structure. Skylark plots (unsown patches) within autumn-sown fields provide critical nest access at modest cost. Chick welfare depends on invertebrate availability in crop margins during the brood-rearing period. The decline in skylark welfare across the UK agricultural landscape is measurable through declining breeding success rates.