Skylarks have declined dramatically across UK farmland due to changes in agricultural practice that destroy nesting opportunities and food supply. Targeted agri-environment measures can reverse this trend.
Skylark welfare is closely tied to nesting success and chick survival rates. Failed nesting attempts caused by agricultural machinery, predation or vegetation becoming too dense mean that breeding pairs expend significant energy on unproductive reproductive effort. Chicks that hatch in unsuitable habitat face starvation if invertebrate food is unavailable due to pesticide use. Adults that cannot find adequate territories in their natal area may be unable to breed at all. On upland farmland, overgrazing eliminates the tussocky grass structure skylarks require, leaving individuals without viable nest sites across large landscape areas.