World Curlew Day | 21 April 2019

World Curlew Day | 21 April 2019

By Ian Morgan 21.04.19

Curlew in decline

The UK is crucially important to curlews, holding, by some estimates, almost a third of the total global breeding population of Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata). This equates to about 68,000 breeding pairs. Sadly, monitoring schemes have shown this population to be in sharp decline. Between 1969 and 2015 it has dropped by as much as 62%, with the Wales and Northern Ireland populations being particularly hard-hit. Declines were steepest between the late ’80s and the present day.

Habitat loss resulting from damaging agricultural practices, urban growth and poor habitat management (including a general trend towards afforestation at the cost of other habitats) are considered important factors driving the decline. The Bird Atlas 2007-11, produced by the British Trust for Ornithology, revealed a 17% reduction in the breeding range of curlews since the previously published atlas of 1988-91.

In addition, declines have been recorded in areas where good curlew habitat exists ostensibly unchanged and stable. Climate change is thought to be a significant factor here, the effect being greatest in warmer, drier areas where invertebrate populations (a primary source of food) are suffering. These declines are particularly evident in locations with large populations of generalist predators, such as crows and foxes, which in turn can be linked to changes in land use and management. On the positive side, moorland predator management by red grouse gamekeepers appears to be helping to stabilise certain curlew populations in Scotland. In fact, managed areas have been shown to harbour curlew populations twice as dense as on non-grouse moorland.

Future prospects

However, the overall picture remains rather dire. The Eurasian Curlew is Red-Listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK. Multiple organisations, including the RSPB, JNCC, and Natural England have identified it as the UK’s greatest conservation priority.

Globally, the situation reflects that within the UK and it is clear that this is a critical moment in the history of the curlews. Of the eight curlew species, two are believed already extinct (Eskimo and Slender-billed), and three are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

World Curlew Day

World Curlew Day (April 21) aims to raise awareness of the plight of curlews worldwide and has found support from numerous environmental agencies. Events will be taking place across the UK and throughout the world, the proceeds going towards important local and national curlew conservation and monitoring projects aiming to restore endangered curlew species to a more favourable conservations status.

If you’d like to learn more, I’d recommend visiting:

The World Curlew Day Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WCDApril21/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wcdapril21?lang=en

Curlew Media: http://www.curlewmedia.com/about-wcd

 

Follow Alar Ecology:

• 
• 
•