During the breeding season Curlew Country receives many requests from others for help or advice regarding Curlew they have seen, which they believe are at risk of disturbance through agricultural activities. Unfortunately, there may still be little that can be done to enable chicks to fledge successfully. In many cases the current agri-environment schemes will not provide adequate reward for loss of crop sustained by those helping to support breeding Curlews. At nest stage matters are simpler, but at chick stage, crop losses to protect the chicks until they fledge are likely to be much greater. Farmers may initially be willing to forgo crop losses especially in a year of high grass growth where crops are plentiful. Curlew Country’s work with a farm business manager has established that these losses can be substantial and are not sustainable for the farm business in the longer term. In addition, both nests and chicks are vulnerable to predation. Monitoring in the Curlew Country area has established that it if accidental agricultural disturbance does not lead to Curlew breeding failure it is likely that predation will.
Please take time to read through all of the advice provided, to ensure that you can make an informed decision about the best course of action.
If you are a member of the public who has seen a Curlew pair displaying nesting behaviour click here.
If you are a farmer or landowner and think you have breeding Curlew on your land click here.
If you have further questions try visiting our FAQ’s page, or you can Contact us.
