Stone curlews are rare summer visitors to UK arable and chalk downland whose welfare depends on collaboration between farmers, conservationists, and agricultural policy.
Stone curlew welfare at breeding sites depends on farmers delaying cultivation until chicks have fledged. Chicks are mobile but not yet flying for 5-6 weeks after hatching, remaining vulnerable to machinery during this period. RSPB nest protection marking allows farmers to work around known nest sites. This collaborative model has driven dramatic population recovery. Individual bird welfare is improved by nest protection which prevents parental stress from nest destruction and chick mortality.