Good news for one of Orkney’s most iconic birds - Orkney Native Wildlife Project

This World Curlew Day (Monday 21 April) the Orkney Native Wildlife Project has revealed some encouraging news for these iconic birds.

The results of the 2024 monitoring surveys show that, after suffering large declines across the county, the number of breeding curlews has increased.

This result is in stark contrast to ongoing declines recorded across Scotland.

In 2024, curlew numbers in 100 of Orkney’s Local Nature Conservation Sites were surveyed for the first time in more than five years and curlew population trends are on the up.

Between the original surveys which took place in 2006-2010 – the year stoats were first reported – and the surveys in 2017-2019 the number of curlews declined from approximately 30 pairs per km2 to 12 pairs per km2 across the Mainland and interconnected isles. The 2024 data shows a modest recovery from this low in 2019 – the year the ONWP began removing stoats – to 14.5 pairs per km2.

That’s a 21% increase in the density of curlews in Mainland Orkney and the connected isles, against a backdrop of 13% declines across Scotland.

Lots of factors influence population trends in wading birds like curlews including weather, but there are encouraging signs that the project’s efforts to remove stoats from Orkney are helping these vulnerable birds.

You can find out more about working on the project in this interview with CJS