Spotted redshanks are elegant waders that pass through and winter in UK wetlands, with welfare challenges from wetland habitat loss and declining invertebrate prey.
Spotted redshank welfare on migration and wintering grounds depends on finding adequate food resources in shallow wetlands. Loss of freshwater wetland habitat through drainage and agricultural intensification has reduced the available feeding sites available to passage and wintering birds. The invertebrate prey that spotted redshanks depend on has declined in many areas from pesticide runoff and nutrient pollution that changes invertebrate community structure. Birds unable to feed efficiently during migration stopover may arrive at their next destination in poor body condition, affecting their breeding prospects. Climate change may be altering migration timing in ways that affect the match between bird arrival and prey availability.