Forty-eight young Eurasian curlews have been released into their natural habitat in the Shropshire Hills and the Welsh Marches as part of a conservation effort to bolster the species' declining numbers. The Eurasian curlew, an iconic bird in the region, has been added to the UK's Red List of species of highest conservation concern.
The initiative is being led by the non-profit organization Curlew Country, which aims to improve the survival rate of young curlews by providing them with optimal conditions from hatching. The project employs a technique known as "headstarting," where eggs are collected from wild nests, incubated, and then raised in protected enclosures.
Amanda Perkins, who leads Curlew Country, stated that while the project has begun to stabilize the population, it is not a long-term solution. "In the wild, these chicks aren't surviving," Perkins explained, highlighting that monitoring efforts had shown no chick surviving to fledging from observed nests. This situation necessitated a "desperate measure to try and hold the situation."
The headstarting process, which is licensed by Natural England, is described by Perkins as a temporary measure, a "sticking plaster," intended to support the population until natural nesting conditions improve and chicks can survive in the wild. Makeshift pens, constructed from chicken wire, wooden posts, and green material, house the young birds. These enclosures are designed to give the curlews the best possible start in life before their release back into the wild.