Some good news for a change

Stone-curlew: Wide-eyed birds are making a triumphant comeback across English grasslands - RSPB

Stone-curlew, a rare grassland dwelling species that previously suffered substantial declines, is making a comeback across RSPB nature reserves

Thanks to conservation efforts from the charity, partners and farmers since the 1980s, record numbers of Stone-curlew are now calling RSPB nature reserves home

The celebration is tinged with uncertainty however, as the nature of future support for Stone-curlews and other farmland wildlife through agri-environment schemes hangs in the balance

Stone-curlew are making a triumphant comeback across southern England and East Anglia, with record numbers of the bird now found on RSPB nature reserves during spring and summer.

Migrating to our shores from southern Spain and northern Africa to raise their young, these peculiar looking birds are crow sized, have long yellow legs and - perhaps most distinctively – golden orb-like eyes which enable them to find food under the cover of darkness.

Once found across much of Eastern and Southern England, the species experienced substantial declines until the RSPB and partners started focused recovery work in the 1980s. Breeding on farmland, sandy heaths and downland, changes to agriculture previously caused a loss of suitable Stone-curlew nesting habitat.

Nesting on dry, stony, open ground and feeding on invertebrates in short grass habitats, the RSPB, together with farmers, have been restoring and protecting suitable nesting sites across Norfolk, Suffolk and Wessex. Alongside suitable farmland, nature reserves such as RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Winterbourne Downs are now providing a safe haven for the birds.

RSPB Winterbourne Downs, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, saw its highest ever number of Stone-curlews, with 11 pairs fledging an incredible 19 young in 2022. And with a record 30 pairs of Stone-curlew counted across RSPB nature reserves in 2022, the conservation charity’s efforts are contributing towards a triumphant comeback for the rare, amber-listed species.