It is estimated that 120,000 Eurasian Curlew spend the winter in Great Britain, with a further 28,300 on the island of Ireland (Note). Counts made by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) volunteers in Great Britain show that the winter population increased following the end of Curlew hunting in 1982 but has since decreased. A paper in Bird Study by Ian Woodward et al investigates how much the temporary recovery was ‘cause and effect’ and asks what other processes may be important, locally and regionally.
Note: Figures from reports in British Birds and Irish Birds, as summarised in the WaderTales blogs, Do populations estimates matter? and Ireland’s wintering waders.
Curlew problems
The 13 species of the Numeniini tribe (curlews, godwits & Upland Sandpiper) are in trouble, with two species probably extinct (as discussed in Why are we losing our large waders?). Eurasian Curlew is red-listed in the UK and…
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