The work started as one of 15 projects which formed part of a Heritage Lottery Funded Landscape Partnership Scheme (LPS).  The original project designed on a top-down conservation basis failed to get off the ground. The project was re-designed to work in partnership with farmers and land managers, listening to their concerns and respecting their views.

Farming partnerships were forged to take part in a two-year trial to see why curlews were failing to breed locally.

Nest monitoring work started.  Cameras and data-loggers were used to discover why curlews are failing to breed successfully on farms.  No chicks survived to fledging from any of the over 30 nests monitored.  Temporary electric fencing for curlew nests was trialled at three sites which were the only nests to get beyond egg stage to hatch chicks in 2016.

Monitoring of over 30 nests in 2015 and 2016 established that nest failure was due to predation or accidental agricultural nest disturbance.  Only 3 nests got beyond egg stage to chick stage each year; in 2016 the 3 nests were those protected by temporary electric fencing.

Implemented colour ringing programme and fixed two satellite tags to migratory birds to gain a deeper understanding of their winter habits.

Interventions to start curlew recovery:

• Temporary electric fencing erected around nests*
• First UK licence obtained to headstart (incubate eggs) and pioneered this practice in the UK for curlews*
• Work with farmers to reward crop interventions that successfully supported breeding curlews
• Predation control over 3 trial areas of over 3,500ha.
• Work with a farm business manager to establish the true cost to farm businesses of supporting breeding curlew and to identify gaps in the existing agri-environment schemes.
• Created the Curlew Country Farmers’ Group
• Curlew Cam – A live camera nest spreading awareness of the plight of breeding lowland curlews*
• Production of a Curlew Observation CD in partnership with the BTO to help volunteers and other bird surveyors assess curlew behaviour*
• Programme of arts awareness-raising events connected to Mary Colwell Hector’s walk across Ireland and England (Curlew Ambassador).
• 3 chicks survived from natural nests where predation control was being carried out.

6 chicks were reared and released when fully fledged at a local migratory roost

The Landscape Partnership Scheme finished, and The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust became host to Curlew Country

In 2017, eggs had been incubated and then replaced into nests at pipping stage to find out what was happening to the chicks.  All nests were fenced with temporary electric fencing and the egg to hatch rate increased dramatically, but the chicks were all subsequently lost.

In the absence of rewards for farmers forgoing crops to support breeding curlews and funding for predation control, Curlew Country decided to headstart to save the local curlew population of curlews from extinction, whilst other measures were sought.

21 chicks were reared and released when fully fledged by staff and volunteers in 2018

Winter sightings of headstarted chicks in Cornwall and Scilly Isles

Following a successful curlew appeal, avicultural experts The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) partnered Curlew Country in its head-starting initiative for one year only. WWT brought in-kind funding, training, equipment and staff and helped to increase Curlew Country’s curlew egg to hatch rate. Curlew Country contributed experience and knowledge of head-starting Curlews (a new species that WWT had not worked with) and of their behaviour in the landscape.

Attached gps tags to breeding curlew

33 chicks were released at fully fledged stage

First ever head-started UK chick returns to breed in the landscape in which it was reared and released by Curlew Country*

Training for farmers and other groups from across the UK wanting to start curlew work

Sadly, fieldwork was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we were pleased to be able to air the wonderful Curlew Cam once again for people to enjoy during this difficult year. The response was humbling.  We had international viewers and reached high viewing figures, but our most rewarding response was from those suffering from Covid who told us that Curlew Cam had helped them through a difficult time.

After the enforced hiatus of 2020, Curlew Country returned to headstarting once again, trialling a new model with volunteer support, which is another first for Curlew Recovery.

Curlew Officer Amber Bicheno lead two trainees in the headstarting efforts to raise young Curlews for release into the wild. They were supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, taking on daily duties of cleaning and care.

34 chicks were successfully released at fully fledged stage.

Curlew Cam aired once again, live-streaming intimate views from a local Curlew nest.

A total of 6 of Curlew Country’s headstarted birds were sighted in 2021; 3 of the 2018 birds, 1 of the 2019 birds and 2 of the 2021 birds after release.

Curlew Country managed a successful season despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which presented continual difficulties and trials to our small team.

Having successfully secured funding for the year, Curlew Country continued its headstarting programme in 2022, releasing another 36 fully-fledged chicks back into the landscape.

More habitat management work was carried out with farmers this season, to improve ground conditions for Curlew particularly in areas where predation control was in place.

A difficult year for chick rearing

Across the country, translocation projects (taking eggs from airfields or grouse moors) have been growing since 2018. Curlew Country is the only headstarting project in the UK, but the methodology is the same. For unknown reasons, possibly heat-related, chicks everywhere suffered multiple health issues and mortality (unrelated to avian influenza for which there were strict biosecurity procedures in place in each project). Curlew Country was pleased to return 21 chicks to the wild.

Nationwide Trials

Curlew Country took part in trials across England to help identify the common factors that benefit breeding curlews across different landscapes, to help in designing targeted agri-environment schemes – currently Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs). The BTO partnered with the CRP to run the scheme with funding from Natural England’s Species Recovery Fund. Wild Oxfordshire and WWT Severn Vale represented lowland river valley landscapes, the BTO worked in two upland areas and an arable area of East Anglia. Curlew Country represented typical lowland farmland landscape. Curlew Country’s results were similar to those gathered during its in-house fieldwork in 2015-2017, with no chicks fledging naturally, despite protecting ten nests (sixteen in 2024) with temporary electric fencing to boost hatch rates.