Studies conflict over how to help curlews

Research from the RSPB has concluded that habitat work combined with predator control did not lead to increased curlew productivity

- David Tomlinson

Up to a quarter of the world’s curlew population breeds in the British Isles, but in recent years, populations of this iconic bird have been in sharp decline, prompting studies into how the bird can be saved.

The RSPB undertook the Curlew Trial Management Project between 2016 and 2019, and the results have just been published in the Journal for Nature Conservation. Six trial sites were established, and detailed information on each site’s curlew population, predator abundance and habitat condition was recorded. Investigations were made as to whether habitat improvements, including reducing taller vegetation, and control of foxes and corvids helped increase curlew numbers.