World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gull): Gull — wildlife guide.

## Is 'seagull' a real species?
No. It is an informal label for gulls generally. British species include herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, black-headed gull and kittiwake — each distinct, with different ecology and conservation status.

## Which gulls are declining in Britain?
Herring gull coastal breeding has declined substantially. Kittiwake is Red-listed and Vulnerable globally, with North Sea colonies failing linked to prey shortage. Lesser black-backed trends vary by region.

## Should I feed gulls at the beach?
No. Feeding habituates gulls to human food, increases aggression and does not help declining cliff-nesting species like kittiwake that feed on fish at sea.

## What is a kittiwake?
A true seabird gull that nests on narrow cliff ledges, never scavenges urban rubbish, has a yellow bill and black wing tips, and is Vulnerable globally due to colony declines linked to food shortage.

## Why do gulls nest on rooftops?
Herring and lesser black-backed gulls moved to urban rooftops as coastal nest sites became crowded or prey-poor. Rooftops mimic cliff ledges — flat gravel surfaces with clear approach routes.

## Where do gulls live?
Gulls live in Coasts, estuaries, inland lakes and urban rooftops worldwide, British species include herring, lesser black-backed, black-headed, great black-backed and kittiwake. Gulls belong to the family Laridae — there is no species called 'seagull'; British gulls include herring, lesser black-backed, black-headed and kittiwake, with several Red-listed or declining while remaining common in urban and coastal settings.

## Are gulls dangerous?
Britain's regular gulls include the herring gull (Larus argentatus), lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) — a true cliff-nesting seabird. Give wild gulls space; do not corner or handle them.

## How long do gulls live?
A precise wild lifespan for gulls is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Gulls belong to the family Laridae — there is no species called 'seagull'; British gulls include herring, lesser black-backed, black-headed and kittiwake, with several Red-listed or declining while remaining common in urban and coastal settings. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## What do gulls eat?
Kittiwake colonies on Scottish and North Sea cliffs have declined sharply — food shortage linked to sandeel stock changes and climate-driven prey shifts is among the documented pressures. Gulls belong to the family Laridae — there is no species called 'seagull'; British gulls include herring, lesser black-backed, black-headed and kittiwake, with several Red-listed or declining while remaining common in urban and coastal settings.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/tern): Tern — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Terns are fork-tailed seabirds that plunge-dive for fish; British species include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and rare roseate tern — with Arctic tern undertaking the longest migration of any bird from breeding grounds to Antarctic winter.

## Introduction
Terns are the sleek, fork-tailed relatives of gulls — built for aerial fishing rather than scavenging. They hover over water, bill pointing down, then plunge-dive after small fish. In Britain the common tern (Sterna hirundo) nests on gravel islands and rafts on lakes and coasts; the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) holds the longest migration of any bird, breeding in Britain and wintering in Antarctic waters.

Other British terns include the little tern (Sternula albifrons) — small, coastal, Amber-listed — the sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) with a shaggy black crest, and the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii), one of Britain's rarest seabirds, nesting at a handful of colonies. All share the diving habit and pointed wings; identification uses size, bill colour and call.

Tern colonies are vulnerable to disturbance, predation and sea-level rise on low islands. Common tern has benefited from artificial rafts on gravel pits and reservoirs; little tern has lost shingle beaches to development and recreation pressure. Searching 'tern' without naming the species misses that split — a family of specialist fish-hunters, not one bird, with migration and rarity varying sharply between members.

Terns are among the most agile fish-hunters on British coasts and inland lakes — their specialist ecology makes them useful indicators of surface fish availability that gulls, with broader diets, mask.

## Takeaway
Terns are slender, fork-tailed fish-hunters that plunge-dive — not scavengers like many gulls.

## Takeaway
Common tern nests on gravel islands and artificial rafts at lakes and coasts across Britain.

## Takeaway
Arctic tern migrates from British breeding grounds to Antarctic waters — the longest migration known.

## Takeaway
Little tern is Amber-listed — small, coastal, vulnerable to beach disturbance and predation.

## Takeaway
Roseate tern is among Britain's rarest seabirds, nesting at few colonies.

## Takeaway
Colony disturbance, predation and loss of shingle nest sites are main pressures.

## Takeaway
Artificial nesting rafts have helped common tern on reservoirs and gravel pits.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/tern): Tern — wildlife guide.

## How terns hunt — hover, dive, swallow
A tern over water beats wings rapidly, hovers with head down, locks onto a fish shadow and drops — bill first, wings swept back — into the surface. It emerges with a small sandeel, sprat or stickleback, adjusts the catch head-first and swallows on the wing. The entire sequence takes seconds and requires clear, shallow water with visible prey.

Terns are less generalist than gulls. They do not scavenge chips or landfill; they need live fish near the surface. That specialisation makes them indicators of nearshore fish availability and water quality — when terns fail to breed, prey shortage or disturbance is often the cause.

Common terns are the generalist British tern — lakes, gravel pits, estuaries and coasts. Arctic terns overlap on breeding coasts but migrate farther. Little terns stay coastal on shingle beaches. Sandwich terns favour larger estuaries and colonies on islands. Watching a tern colony hunt is watching a barometer of surface fish abundance — when dives fail repeatedly, chicks go hungry.

Tern flight is buoyant and direct — long pointed wings and forked tail create a distinctive silhouette against sky and water. Common terns calling at colonies produce a sharp 'kirrick' that carries over water; Arctic terns are more screaming in defence. Call and size together separate species when plumage differences are subtle at distance.

Winter terns depart British colonies for African or southern coastal wintering areas depending on species — common terns from inland lakes migrate; Arctic terns undertake the extreme pole-to-pole route. Empty gravel rafts in autumn mark departure; returning birds in spring are among the first signs that surface fish are available again.

Common tern colony noise — sharp calls and aerial commutes with fish — indicates active provisioning. Silent colonies during chick rearing may mean failure; noisy colonies are not guarantee of success but indicate ongoing effort.

## Arctic tern — pole to pole
The Arctic tern breeds on coasts from Scotland through Iceland to Arctic regions, then migrates south to Antarctic waters for the austral summer — a round trip that ranks among the longest migrations of any animal. Tracking studies confirmed routes down the Atlantic and return along alternate flyways, with birds experiencing more daylight in a year than any other creature.

Breeding Arctic terns are fiercely defensive — dive-bombing intruders at colonies with a sharp scream. They nest on bare ground, shingle or short vegetation on islands and coasts. Sandeel and small fish provision chicks; colony failure in bad prey years is total.

Climate change affects Arctic tern through prey shifts, storm frequency on migration and Arctic breeding-ground warming. The migration itself is the defining biology — a tern that crosses the planet twice a year is not interchangeable with a common tern on a gravel pit. Conservation for Arctic tern spans hemispheres; conservation for common tern spans a well-managed lake.

Sandwich terns are the largest regular British tern — shaggy crest, black bill with yellow tip, nesting in dense colonies on islands and spits. They feed farther offshore than little terns and common terns on many coasts, which separates their foraging from inshore disturbance but ties them to pelagic fish availability.

Arctic tern chick diet is almost entirely sandeel and small fish in British colonies — same prey dependency as kittiwake and puffin, linking tern breeding success to North Sea fish stocks shared across seabird groups.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/tern): Tern — wildlife guide.

## Colonies, rafts and the little tern problem
Terns nest colonially on open ground — shingle beaches, gravel islands, saltmarsh scrapes — where eggs are cryptic and adults mob predators collectively. Ground nesting exposes terns to foxes, rats, gulls, crows and human trampling on beaches. A single dog off-lead through a little tern colony can destroy a season's breeding.

Common terns have adapted to artificial platforms — floating rafts on reservoirs and gravel pits with shingle surface and predator exclusion. These have stabilised breeding at inland sites where natural islands were lost to vegetation succession or water-level management.

Little terns need undisturbed shingle beaches — a habitat squeezed by coastal development, sea defence works and summer recreation. Amber-listed in Britain, little tern colonies are fenced and wardened where they persist. Roseate tern nests at very few sites, often alongside common terns, with intensive monitoring. Colony wardens and signed beaches are the front line — disturbance is immediate and measurable.

Roseate tern conservation in Britain concentrates on a handful of colonies where intensive wardening, predator control and nest box provision on shingle and rocky islands have stabilised breeding. The species nests alongside common terns — identification requires attention to pale plumage tones and longer tail streamers in breeding adults.

Little tern electric fencing on shingle beaches excludes foxes and badgers — low-cost predator exclusion that works where warden presence alone cannot cover entire beach length through the breeding season.

## Terns versus gulls — and what helps
Terns and gulls share family Laridae but diverge in ecology. Gulls scavenge, kleptoparasitise and predated tern colonies — herring and great black-backed gulls take tern eggs and chicks. Tern colony management often includes gull deterrence as well as predator fencing and warden presence during breeding.

Helping terns: keep dogs off signed shingle beaches in summer, support colony warden schemes, maintain gravel rafts on managed lakes, and address nearshore fish stocks that provision breeding colonies. Feeding terns does not work — they take live fish from water, not offerings from hand.

A family tern guide matches how people search — 'tern' at the coast before identifying the black-capped common tern from the tiny little tern. The fork tail diving for fish is the shared frame; migration, rarity and colony pressure differ by species. Correct identification turns a casual beach walk into useful conservation awareness.

Climate-driven sea-level rise threatens low-lying tern colonies on shingle spits and saltmarsh scrapes — colonies that persist on managed reserves with raised islands or floating rafts demonstrate that engineering intervention can buy time while coastal habitat shifts inland.

Tern ringing recoveries show migration connectivity between British colonies and wintering coasts in Africa and South America depending on species — international conservation agreements cover flyways terns use across jurisdictions.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for seabirds beyond the generic 'seagull'. Terns are fish specialists — Arctic tern crosses the planet; little tern loses beaches to disturbance — same fork tail, different conservation stories.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/tern): Tern — wildlife guide.

## What is the difference between a tern and a gull?
Terns are slender with forked tails, hunt fish by plunge-diving and rarely scavenge. Gulls are bulkier, often scavengers, with less forked tails and broader diets.

## Which tern has the longest migration?
Arctic tern — from Arctic and northern breeding grounds to Antarctic waters annually, the longest migration of any bird.

## Where do common terns nest?
On gravel islands, shingle beaches and artificial rafts on lakes, reservoirs, gravel pits and coasts — colonially on open ground.

## Why are little terns Amber-listed?
They depend on undisturbed shingle beaches, which are lost to development, sea defences and summer recreation. Colonies are vulnerable to predation and trampling.

## What do terns eat?
Terns eat Plunge dive — Hover then dive for small fish — tern hunting signature. Terns are fork-tailed seabirds that plunge-dive for fish; British species include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and rare roseate tern — with Arctic tern undertaking the longest migration of any bird from breeding grounds to Antarctic winter.

## Where do terns live?
Terns live in Coasts, estuaries, lakes and rivers worldwide, British breeders include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and roseate tern. Terns are fork-tailed seabirds that plunge-dive for fish; British species include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and rare roseate tern — with Arctic tern undertaking the longest migration of any bird from breeding grounds to Antarctic winter.

## Are terns dangerous?
Other British terns include the little tern (Sternula albifrons) — small, coastal, Amber-listed — the sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) with a shaggy black crest, and the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii), one of Britain's rarest seabirds, nesting at a handful of colonies. Give wild terns space; do not corner or handle them.

## How long do terns live?
A precise wild lifespan for terns is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Terns are fork-tailed seabirds that plunge-dive for fish; British species include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and rare roseate tern — with Arctic tern undertaking the longest migration of any bird from breeding grounds to Antarctic winter. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## How big are terns?
A Terns is about Forked tail (Deeply forked in common and Arctic terns). Terns are fork-tailed seabirds that plunge-dive for fish; British species include common, Arctic, little, sandwich and rare roseate tern — with Arctic tern undertaking the longest migration of any bird from breeding grounds to Antarctic winter. Conservation status: Colony disturbance, predation, prey shortage.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cormorant): Cormorant — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large black fish-eating bird that dives underwater, dries its wings after swimming, nests in tree or cliff colonies, and is widespread on British coasts and inland waters — with local conflict over fish consumption.

## Introduction
The great cormorant is a large, black fish-eating bird with a hooked bill, webbed feet set far back on the body and a habit of standing with wings outstretched after diving — drying feathers that are not fully waterproof, unlike those of most waterbirds. It dives from the surface using powerful feet, pursues fish underwater and surfaces to swallow.

Cormorants breed colonially in trees on lakes, on cliffs on coasts and on structures in estuaries — building stick nests in groups that can number hundreds of pairs. In Britain they are widespread on coasts and increasingly on inland lakes and rivers, where their fish consumption brings conflict with angling and aquaculture interests.

Population trends in Europe recovered after historical persecution and pesticide damage — numbers increased through the late twentieth century. Conflict is local and economic rather than conservation-driven: cormorants eat fish that fisheries want. The bird itself is Least Concern globally, a successful generalist diver adapting to reservoirs, gravel pits and urban waterways as well as open coast. The conservation story and the fisheries story are different narratives applied to the same black bird on the harbour wall.

Understanding cormorant biology — reduced feather waterproofing, colonial nesting, fish-only diet — separates legitimate fisheries management from persecution driven by misunderstanding of a native, recovered species.

## Takeaway
Cormorants are large black divers that eat fish exclusively, pursuing prey underwater.

## Takeaway
They stand with wings outstretched to dry after diving — feathers lack full waterproofing.

## Takeaway
Nest colonially in trees on lakes, on cliffs or on estuary structures.

## Takeaway
British populations recovered after historical persecution; now common on coast and inland water.

## Takeaway
Conflict with angling and fish farms is economic and local — cormorants eat stocked and wild fish.

## Takeaway
Smaller shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is the coastal cliff breeder — do not confuse with cormorant.

## Takeaway
Least Concern globally — a generalist fish predator, not a conservation priority species.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cormorant): Cormorant — wildlife guide.

## Built for diving — not for floating
Cormorants carry less preen oil than ducks and grebes, so their feathers absorb water during dives. That reduces buoyancy — an advantage underwater where the bird walks and swims with foot propulsion pursuing fish — but means they must dry out after fishing. The wings-spread posture on rocks, buoys and trees is thermoregulation and drying, not merely display.

Dives last from tens of seconds to over a minute; cormorants take a wide size range of fish depending on availability. In freshwater they concentrate where fish aggregate — weirs, reservoir outflows, fish farm cages. On coast they forage in estuaries, harbours and shallow sea.

The hooked bill grips slippery prey; the bird surfaces, tosses the fish and swallows head-first. A skilled cormorant can take substantial daily weight in fish — which is exactly why fisheries notice them. The same diving efficiency that makes cormorants fascinating to watch makes them unpopular where stocked fish are the product.

Double-crested and other cormorant relatives occur globally — the great cormorant's success in western Europe reflects legal protection, abundant artificial water bodies and fish stocks that support generalist diving. Population growth on inland lakes is a post-recovery phenomenon, not an invasion of a new species.

Freshwater anglers sometimes confuse cormorants with goosanders or mergansers — all fish-eaters, but cormorants dive from the surface while mergansers are diving ducks with different ecology and legal status. Correct identification focuses fisheries concern on the species actually present.

Pygmy cormorant and other continental relatives do not breed in Britain — great cormorant is the default British record. Occasional shag-cormorant confusion on rocky coast is the main identification issue for coastal birdwatchers.

## Colonies in trees and on cliffs
Great cormorants nest in colonies — stick nests in trees on lake islands, on cliff ledges on coasts, or on artificial structures. Colonies grow when food is reliable and shrink when disturbance or prey failure occurs. Breeding birds develop white thigh patches in season; juveniles are browner with pale underparts.

Inland tree colonies can damage nesting trees through accumulated guano — a management issue on nature reserves where cormorants colonise new water bodies. Coastal cliff colonies overlap with shags in some areas but cormorants use broader habitat.

The shag is the smaller, greener, cliff-nesting relative — breeding on rocky coasts, less often on inland water. Confusion between cormorant and shag is common; shag has a steep forehead and breeds on narrow ledges, cormorant is bulkier and uses trees inland. Telling them apart matters because population trends and habitat use differ — shag is more tied to rocky coast, cormorant is the generalist.

Cormorant digestion is fast — fish pass through quickly, which means cormorants must dive repeatedly through the day to meet energy needs. A cormorant at a weir may dive at intervals of minutes for hours, which makes the cumulative fish take visible to anglers even when individual catches seem small.

Tree-nesting cormorants damage island woodland on some lakes through guano — managers sometimes face trade-offs between cormorant conservation status and woodland habitat protection on the same reserve.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cormorant): Cormorant — wildlife guide.

## Fisheries conflict and population recovery
Cormorants were persecuted historically — shot, nest-destroyed, driven from fisheries. Populations in western Europe recovered through legal protection and reduced pesticide load. Numbers on inland waters increased as reservoirs and gravel pits provided new foraging and nesting habitat.

Modern conflict centres on fish farms, stocked trout rivers and commercial inland fisheries. Cormorants take fish at weirs and cages; anglers report reduced catch where cormorant numbers are high. Management includes scaring devices, limited licensed control in some jurisdictions, and habitat measures — not elimination, which would be ecologically disproportionate for a Least Concern species.

The conservation biology is separate from the economics: cormorants are native fish predators doing what they evolved to do. Fisheries that stock dense fish in open water attract predators predictably. Resolution is management and design — cages, refuges, scaring — rather than treating cormorants as invasive. Least Concern status reflects recovery, not absence of conflict.

Winter cormorant roosts on lakes and estuaries can hold hundreds of birds commuting to feeding sites at dawn. Roost disturbance or destruction forces birds to new water bodies — which can shift fisheries conflict from one angling water to another without reducing total cormorant numbers in the region.

Angling clubs stock fish that cormorants predictably take — the economic conflict is partly a product of stocking density and fish size at release, not cormorant population alone.

## Watching cormorants — coast, river and reservoir
Cormorants are easy to watch — they sit conspicuously on rocks, buoys and dead trees, dive visibly and form commuting lines between roost and feeding areas at dawn and dusk. On rivers they perch on branches overhanging deep pools; on coast they raft in harbours.

For birdwatchers, flight silhouette is distinctive — long neck, straight bill, wings beating steadily, often low over water. Juvenile groups on estuaries in winter can number dozens.

They are not a garden bird except where large lakes lie nearby. Their story is waterbody ecology — fish stocks, wetland protection, and the human choice to stock fish where divers will find them. Least Concern status reflects success; local conflict reflects competition, not rarity. The wings spread on the post are drying; the bird beneath them is a recovered native predator, not a conservation emergency.

Photography and tourism value cormorants on harbour posts and rocky coasts — the wings-spread posture is iconic. That cultural visibility sits awkwardly beside fisheries hostility inland; the same species is admired on the coast and resented on a trout reservoir fifty miles away.

Cormorant flight lines at dawn — birds commuting from roost to feeding water — are predictable enough for fisheries to schedule scaring or protective measures, which is part of pragmatic coexistence on shared water bodies.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for coastal and freshwater birds people see daily. The cormorant dries its wings on your harbour wall — a fish predator recovered from persecution, now in local conflict with fisheries rather than global decline.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cormorant): Cormorant — wildlife guide.

## Why do cormorants spread their wings?
To dry feathers after diving. Cormorant plumage absorbs water, reducing buoyancy for underwater hunting but requiring drying between dives.

## What do cormorants eat?
Great Cormorants eat Fish — caught by underwater diving. The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large black fish-eating bird that dives underwater, dries its wings after swimming, nests in tree or cliff colonies, and is widespread on British coasts and inland waters — with local conflict over fish consumption.

## What is the difference between cormorant and shag?
Cormorant is larger, bulkier, nests in trees inland and on coasts. Shag is smaller, greener, with a steep forehead, breeding mainly on coastal cliffs.

## Are cormorants protected?
Yes in Britain — great cormorant is a wild bird protected from deliberate harm. Licensed management exists for fisheries conflict in some circumstances.

## Are cormorants increasing?
European populations recovered after historical decline. Inland numbers increased with reservoirs and gravel pits. Globally Least Concern.

## Where do great cormorants live?
Great Cormorants live in Coasts, estuaries, lakes and rivers worldwide, Widespread breeder and winter visitor in Britain. The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large black fish-eating bird that dives underwater, dries its wings after swimming, nests in tree or cliff colonies, and is widespread on British coasts and inland waters — with local conflict over fish consumption.

## Are great cormorants dangerous?
Understanding cormorant biology — reduced feather waterproofing, colonial nesting, fish-only diet — separates legitimate fisheries management from persecution driven by misunderstanding of a native, recovered species. Give wild great cormorants space; do not corner or handle them.

## How long do great cormorants live?
A precise wild lifespan for great cormorants is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large black fish-eating bird that dives underwater, dries its wings after swimming, nests in tree or cliff colonies, and is widespread on British coasts and inland waters — with local conflict over fish consumption. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## How big is a great cormorant?
A Great Cormorant is about 80–100 cm. The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large black fish-eating bird that dives underwater, dries its wings after swimming, nests in tree or cliff colonies, and is widespread on British coasts and inland waters — with local conflict over fish consumption.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gannet): Gannet — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a large white North Atlantic seabird that plunge-dives from height to catch fish; Britain holds major cliff colonies including Bass Rock and Bempton, with breeding success linked to sandeel and pelagic fish availability.

## Introduction
The northern gannet is a large white seabird with black wing tips, a buff-yellow head in breeding season and a wingspan that makes it unmistakable in flight. It feeds by plunge-diving from height — folding wings and hitting the water like a spear, pursuing fish underwater with wings and feet. Air sacs under the skin cushion the impact.

Britain holds a substantial share of the world population. Colonies at Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, Troup Head in Aberdeenshire and islands off Wales and Ireland hold tens of thousands of pairs — crowded cliff ledges where gannets nest shoulder to shoulder, the air filled with their guttural 'urrrah' calls.

Gannets are fish specialists — mackerel, herring, sandeel — taken by plunge-diving in offshore and inshore waters. They follow fishing boats and are vulnerable to bycatch in nets, plastic ingestion and prey shifts linked to warming seas. Globally Least Concern, but colony monitoring tracks breeding success as a signal of North Atlantic fish stock health. A gannet colony thriving or failing tells fisheries managers and climate scientists something before the news reaches the general public.

Britain's gannet colonies are internationally significant — responsible tourism and marine policy that protects prey stocks directly support the colonies that define the seabird spectacle at sites like Bempton and Bass Rock.

## Takeaway
Gannets are large white seabirds with black wing tips that plunge-dive from height for fish.

## Takeaway
Britain holds world-significant colonies on cliffs — Bass Rock, Bempton Cliffs, Troup Head.

## Takeaway
Air sacs cushion the impact of plunge-diving; birds pursue fish underwater after entry.

## Takeaway
Colony noise and smell are overwhelming at peak breeding — crowded ledges, guttural calls.

## Takeaway
Breeding success tracks sandeel and pelagic fish availability — prey shortage fails colonies.

## Takeaway
Vulnerable to bycatch in fishing nets and plastic ingestion at sea.

## Takeaway
Least Concern globally but monitored as indicator of North Atlantic fish stocks.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gannet): Gannet — wildlife guide.

## The plunge — from thirty metres to underwater chase
A hunting gannet circles over shoaling fish, folds wings back and drops — accelerating to impact speeds that would injure less specialised birds. Just before entry it extends wings slightly and tucks the bill; air sacs in the face and chest absorb shock. Underwater it continues pursuit by wing and foot propulsion, taking fish before returning to the surface to swallow.

Gannets feed singly or in groups when fish concentrate at the surface. They associate with dolphins and tuna that drive prey up, and follow fishing vessels for discards — though discard reform reduced that subsidy. Diving depth and duration suit mid-water pelagic fish rather than bottom dwellers.

Juvenile gannets are dark brown, gradually whitening over several years. Immature birds disperse widely before returning to natal colonies to breed — a life spent mostly at sea until maturity. The brown gannet offshore is not a different species — it is a young bird years away from the white plumage of the cliff colony.

Gannet pair bonds are long-lived — pairs reunite at the same nest ledge annually, reinforcing the mound together before laying. Site fidelity makes colony ledges valuable real estate; disputes between neighbours are constant through breeding season, with pecking and wing threats at close quarters.

Gannet oiling from pollution reduces waterproofing and can kill at sea — chronic low-level pollution is harder to detect than single spill events but contributes to adult mortality between breeding seasons.

Northern gannet is the only gannet species in the North Atlantic — African and Australasian gannets are separate species never occurring in British waters. 'Gannet' in Britain always means Morus bassanus.

## Cliff cities — Bass Rock and beyond
Gannets nest on steep cliffs and rocky stacks, building a mound of seaweed, grass and guano that cements to the ledge. Pairs return to the same nest site annually, adding material each season. Colonies are dense — birds inches apart, aggressive pecking at neighbours, constant take-off and landing on crowded airspace.

Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth holds one of the largest northern gannet colonies on Earth. Bempton Cliffs on the Yorkshire coast offers mainland viewing of gannets alongside puffins and kittiwakes — a seabird spectacle accessible without a boat. Troup Head, Ailsa Craig, Grassholm and Irish offshore stacks add to Britain's share of global breeding.

Colony counts are among the best monitoring data in seabird conservation — annual breeding numbers and chick production signal food availability. When sandeel stocks fail, gannet colonies fledge fewer chicks and adults show poor body condition. A visitor to Bempton sees spectacle; a warden sees data.

Non-breeding immature gannets roam widely in the North Atlantic — brown birds seen from headlands and ferries may be years from first breeding. These immatures do not attend colonies during breeding season, which means cliff counts during summer underestimate total population using the same marine food web.

Gannet nest density on crowded ledges creates microclimate and guano chemistry that cements nests to rock — nest loss from storm wash or cliff collapse removes established sites that pairs return to for years.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gannet): Gannet — wildlife guide.

## Fish stocks, climate and colony failure
Gannet breeding success in the North Sea correlates with sandeel abundance — small oily fish that aggregate near the seabed but surface when hunted. Sandeel recruitment fails in warm years; fisheries management and climate-driven shifts have reduced availability in some seasons. Gannets switch prey when possible but chick growth slows on poorer diets.

Fisheries bycatch kills gannets in gillnets and trawls. Plastic ingestion is documented in adults and chicks — floating debris mistaken for prey or brought to nests in seaweed. Oil pollution affects waterproofing and thermoregulation at sea.

The species remains Least Concern because of large total population and wide range — but colony-level failure episodes are warnings for North Atlantic ecosystem health, not isolated gannet problems. When Bass Rock fledges poorly, the cause is usually fish — not disease on the cliff.

Gannet chicks are fed regurgitated fish by parents returning from foraging trips that may last hours. When prey is scarce, trip length increases and chick growth slows — colony monitors measure chick weight and feeding frequency as early warning of fish stock problems before adult mortality rises.

Fishermen historically used gannet diving behaviour to locate fish shoals — aggregations of diving gannets still indicate surface fish for sea anglers and for seabird researchers monitoring prey availability.

## Watching gannets — cliffs, boats and responsible tourism
Gannets are among the most accessible spectacular seabirds in Britain. Bempton Cliffs reserve provides cliff-top views without disturbing ledges — paths set back from the colony edge. Boat trips to Bass Rock circle the colony at respectful distance. Photography from designated viewpoints avoids the disturbance that close drone flight or cliff abseiling would cause.

Disturbance during breeding reduces chick survival — adults flushed from nests leave eggs and chicks exposed to predation and weather. Signed paths and seasonal closures exist to protect colonies; staying on marked routes is the practical conservation action for visitors.

Gannets connect public wonder to marine food webs — the white bird arrowing into the sea is catching the same fish stocks fisheries and kittiwakes depend on. Understanding gannets means understanding North Atlantic fish — not as a generic seabird but as a plunge-diving specialist tied to prey that shifts with climate. Responsible viewing supports the colonies that make Britain a global gannet stronghold.

Wind farms and gannet foraging overlap in some North Sea zones — collision risk and displacement from feeding grounds are assessed during offshore energy planning. Gannet conservation is increasingly tied to marine spatial planning, not cliff protection alone.

Avian influenza has affected gannet colonies in recent years — disease adds to fisheries and climate pressure on colonies that already fluctuate with sandeel availability. Colony monitoring tracks mortality events as they occur.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for seabird colonies people travel to see. The gannet is Least Concern globally and spectacular locally — with breeding success that tracks sandeel stocks and North Atlantic fish health.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gannet): Gannet — wildlife guide.

## Where can I see gannets in Britain?
Major colonies at Bass Rock (Firth of Forth), Bempton Cliffs (Yorkshire), Troup Head (Aberdeenshire), Ailsa Craig, Grassholm and Irish offshore stacks. Bempton offers mainland cliff-top viewing.

## How do gannets catch fish?
By plunge-diving from height — folding wings and entering the water at speed, cushioned by air sacs, then pursuing fish underwater.

## What do gannets eat?
Pelagic fish — mackerel, herring, sandeel and similar. Prey availability, especially sandeels, drives breeding success at colonies.

## Why are juvenile gannets brown?
Gannets take several years to reach adult white plumage. Juveniles are dark brown, gradually whitening — a progression visible in colonies and at sea.

## Are gannets endangered?
Least Concern globally with a large population. Colony breeding success fluctuates with fish stocks; local failures signal prey shortage rather than immediate species threat.

## Where do northern gannets live?
Northern Gannets live in North Atlantic coasts — breeds on cliffs in Britain, Ireland, Iceland and Canada, Winters at sea across the Atlantic. The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a large white North Atlantic seabird that plunge-dives from height to catch fish; Britain holds major cliff colonies including Bass Rock and Bempton, with breeding success linked to sandeel and pelagic fish availability.

## Are northern gannets dangerous?
Northern Gannets are not generally dangerous to people. The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a large white North Atlantic seabird that plunge-dives from height to catch fish; Britain holds major cliff colonies including Bass Rock and Bempton, with breeding success linked to sandeel and pelagic fish availability. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How long do northern gannets live?
Northern Gannets typically live White with black wing tips; yellowish head in breeding season. The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a large white North Atlantic seabird that plunge-dives from height to catch fish; Britain holds major cliff colonies including Bass Rock and Bempton, with breeding success linked to sandeel and pelagic fish availability. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

## How big is a northern gannet?
A Northern Gannet is about Up to 2 m. The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a large white North Atlantic seabird that plunge-dives from height to catch fish; Britain holds major cliff colonies including Bass Rock and Bempton, with breeding success linked to sandeel and pelagic fish availability.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cuckoo): Cuckoo — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a brood-parasitic migrant whose male's two-note call marks British spring; females lay in other birds' nests, and British breeding numbers have declined steeply — Red-listed — linked to caterpillar loss and migration pressures.

## Introduction
The common cuckoo is the bird behind the most famous sound in British spring — the two-note 'cuck-oo' call of the male, repeated from April through June across heath, marsh and open woodland. Females produce a bubbling call and a hawk-like flight display. The bird itself is often unseen: blue-grey above, barred white below, with a long tail and pointed wings like a small bird of prey.

Cuckoos are brood parasites. Females lay eggs in the nests of other species — meadow pipits, dunnocks, reed warblers, robins depending on region — and the host parents raise the cuckoo chick, which evicts host eggs and nestlings and grows to dwarf its foster parents. That behaviour fascinated Darwin and still drives research on arms races between cuckoo egg mimicry and host rejection.

British breeding cuckoos have declined sharply — Red-listed, with numbers falling across England and Wales as breeding range contracts northward. Causes include loss of moth caterpillars that provision adults, deterioration of African wintering grounds and migration hazards. The call is still heard in upland and northern Britain, but silence where cuckoos once called is one of the clearest signals of farmland and heath change.

The cuckoo's cultural weight in Britain — a sound tied to spring itself — makes its Red List status emotionally sharper than many quieter declines. Conservation action targets the moths, hosts and migration routes the bird depends on, not the clock that once marked its arrival.

## Takeaway
Male cuckoos call 'cuck-oo' from April to June — the sound of spring in much of Britain.

## Takeaway
Females lay eggs in other birds' nests; the cuckoo chick evicts host young and is raised by foster parents.

## Takeaway
British breeding cuckoos are Red-listed after steep decline — range contracting north and west.

## Takeaway
Adults depend heavily on hairy moth caterpillars — loss of rough grassland and hedgerow moths hits cuckoos.

## Takeaway
Winter in sub-Saharan Africa; migration routes cross the Mediterranean and Sahara.

## Takeaway
Different cuckoo races target different host species — meadow pipit, dunnock, reed warbler.

## Takeaway
Hearing a cuckoo is increasingly a regional experience — upland and northern Britain hold most callers.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cuckoo): Cuckoo — wildlife guide.

## Brood parasitism — the nest you never built
A female cuckoo watches host nests, waits until the host is absent, removes one host egg if time allows, and lays a single egg that mimics the host's colour and pattern — in some races convincingly, in others less so. The host incubates; the cuckoo egg hatches quickly; the chick pushes other eggs and chicks from the nest using a hollow in its back specifically adapted for the task.

Foster parents feed the cuckoo chick until it fledges at enormous size — a reed warbler feeding a cuckoo chick several times its own mass is one of ornithology's starkest images. Host species evolve rejection behaviour — ejecting alien eggs — and cuckoos evolve better mimicry; the co-evolutionary arms race continues.

In Britain, meadow pipits, dunnocks and reed warblers are common hosts. Different cuckoo gentes — host-specific lineages — lay eggs matching particular host species. Not every cuckoo egg succeeds; hosts that recognise and reject parasitic eggs reduce cuckoo breeding success locally.

Cuckoo eggs vary by host race — reed warbler eggs are green and speckled to match reed warbler clutches; meadow pipit eggs differ. Host rejection behaviour varies too — reed warblers eject some parasitic eggs; dunnocks accept many. The arms race plays out differently in each host-cuckoo pairing across Britain.

Cuckoo chicks do not evict host eggs in every nest — success rate varies by host attentiveness and egg mimicry quality. Failed parasitism is common; cuckoo decline reduces pressure on host populations but also removes a species that shaped host evolution for millennia.

Young cuckoos leave the foster nest and are fed by foster parents for weeks — the parasitic chick outgrows the nest structurally and may sit on rim while still demanding food from smaller hosts. The size mismatch is among the starkest in bird behaviour.

## The call, the migration and the caterpillar link
Male cuckoos establish territories by call from April — the classic two-note song advertising fitness to females and rivals. Females call less conspicuously but produce a rich bubbling display. Cuckoos are birds of open country with scattered trees — heath, marsh edge, upland fringe — not dense woodland.

After breeding, cuckoos migrate to sub-Saharan Africa — a journey crossing the Sahara and Mediterranean, with hunting and drought on migration routes documented as mortality sources. Satellite tracking has revealed wintering areas in the Congo basin and migration timing that varies individually.

Adult cuckoos feed mainly on hairy caterpillars — especially moth larvae of rough grassland and heath. Decline in large hairy moth populations through agricultural intensification, pesticide use and habitat loss correlates with cuckoo decline. The bird at the top of that insect food chain is an indicator that moth-rich rough ground is disappearing.

Male cuckoos compete for display territories where females hear them — a loud male in open country attracts females that then search nearby for host nests. Cuckoo decline reduces not only the call people know but the parasitic pressure on host populations — meadow pipit and reed warbler nesting success can shift when cuckoos disappear from an area.

Cuckoo decline on Dartmoor, Welsh uplands and Scottish margins follows regional moth and host abundance — strongholds correlate with rough grassland and reedbed where hosts remain common and caterpillar food persists.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cuckoo): Cuckoo — wildlife guide.

## British decline — Red list and contracting range
Cuckoo breeding numbers in Britain fell substantially from the 1980s onward — one of the steepest declines of any formerly widespread summer visitor. The species is Red-listed. Range has contracted from much of lowland England and Wales toward upland areas, Scotland and western margins where rough grassland and heath persist.

Multiple causes operate: caterpillar food loss on breeding grounds, conditions on African wintering grounds, migration mortality, and potentially phenological mismatch if host nesting advances faster than cuckoo arrival. No single factor explains the trend; the cumulative pressure on a long-distance migrant with specialised diet and parasitic breeding is severe.

Silence where cuckoos once called is noticed by older rural residents before it appears in national statistics — the bird whose call defined spring is becoming a regional sound. Conservation action targets rough grassland, moth habitat, migration route protection and wintering ground forest retention in Africa.

Satellite tracking showed cuckoos take different migration routes and timing — some cross the western Mediterranean, others the eastern. Mortality on migration is substantial; drought and hunting pressure on stopover and wintering grounds add to breeding-ground caterpillar loss as cumulative decline drivers.

Pesticide reduction on farmland margins and hedgerows supports moth larvae that cuckoos eat — general invertebrate recovery on breeding grounds aligns with cuckoo needs without targeting the species directly at garden feeders.

## What helps cuckoos — beyond the clock
Cuckoos cannot be helped at a garden feeder — they need landscape-scale rough grassland, heath and hedgerow producing moth caterpillars, plus host birds nesting successfully nearby. Allowing bracken, gorse and rough pasture on farmland margins, reducing pesticide drift onto hedgerows and supporting upland heath management all align with cuckoo needs.

Reporting cuckoo calls to annual bird surveys contributes population data that tracks decline and recovery. The call is easy to identify — two equal notes — and survey schemes rely on public records.

The cuckoo is Least Concern globally because of a wide Eurasian range, but the British story is regional collapse of a cultural icon — a brood parasite whose spring call masked a dependency on moths, hosts and African forest that everyday farmland change eroded faster than the bird could adapt.

Reporting cuckoo arrival dates to annual bird surveys builds the phenology dataset that tests whether cuckoos still arrive when hosts are nesting. Mismatch — cuckoos arriving after host clutches are complete — reduces parasitic success and may accelerate decline in southern Britain where hosts nest earlier in warming springs.

Clocks and folklore tied cuckoo arrival to spring labour — hay timing, planting dates, seasonal markers. That cultural calendar broke when cuckoos stopped calling, not when clocks changed.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for farmland birds whose decline people hear before surveys confirm it. The cuckoo is Red-listed in Britain — spring's call fading where moth-rich rough ground disappeared.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cuckoo): Cuckoo — wildlife guide.

## Why do cuckoos lay eggs in other birds' nests?
Cuckoos are brood parasites — females do not build nests or raise chicks. Host parents incubate the egg and feed the cuckoo chick, which evicts their own young. It is an evolutionary strategy, not laziness.

## When do cuckoos arrive in Britain?
From April onward, with peak calling in May and June. They leave for Africa from July into August. Timing varies by latitude — Scotland later than southern England.

## Are cuckoos declining in Britain?
Yes, sharply. Red-listed with substantial breeding decline since the 1980s and range contracting north and west. Loss of caterpillar food and migration pressures are among documented causes.

## What do cuckoos eat?
Common Cuckoos eat Hairy moth caterpillars. The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a brood-parasitic migrant whose male's two-note call marks British spring; females lay in other birds' nests, and British breeding numbers have declined steeply — Red-listed — linked to caterpillar loss and migration pressures.

## Which birds raise cuckoo chicks?
In Britain, commonly meadow pipit, dunnock and reed warbler — depending on region and cuckoo race. The foster parents feed the chick until it fledges much larger than themselves.

## Where do cuckoos winter?
Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly forest and woodland areas in the Congo basin and similar regions. Migration crosses the Sahara and Mediterranean.

## Where do cuckoos live?
In Britain, cuckoos breed on heath, rough grassland and marsh edges where host birds such as meadow pipits, dunnocks and reed warblers nest nearby. Males call the two-note 'cuck-oo' from April to June. British breeders are Red-listed after steep decline, though the species remains Least Concern across its wider Eurasian range.

## Are cuckoos dangerous?
Cuckoos are not dangerous to people. They are brood parasites that lay eggs in other birds' nests, but they pose no physical threat to humans. Adults feed mainly on hairy moth caterpillars from rough grassland and heath. British breeding numbers have declined sharply, with the species Red-listed as range contracts north and west.

## How long do common cuckoos live?
A precise wild lifespan for common cuckoos is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a brood-parasitic migrant whose male's two-note call marks British spring; females lay in other birds' nests, and British breeding numbers have declined steeply — Red-listed — linked to caterpillar loss and migration pressures. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/swift): Swift — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed.

## Introduction
The common swift is the most aerial of British birds. Dark, scythe-winged, with a short forked tail and a wide gape for catching insects, it spends almost its entire life on the wing — feeding, drinking, bathing and even sleeping in flight. It lands only to nest, clinging to a cavity under eaves or in a wall, and departs again as soon as young fledge.

Summer evenings bring 'screaming parties' — groups of swifts racing at roof height, calling sharply as they prospect for nest sites and socialise. The sound defines high summer in towns where swifts still breed. They arrive from Africa in May, later than swallows, and leave in August — a short breeding season compressed into fine weather.

British swift numbers have declined — Amber-listed — linked to loss of nest holes as old buildings are renovated, eaves sealed and soffits replaced with plastic that excludes cavity nesters. Swifts are faithful to nest sites, returning to the same hole for years. Lose the hole and you lose the pair. Swift towers and nest boxes under eaves can replace lost sites where householders act.

Swifts evolved with cliffs and old-growth forest holes before human buildings offered substitute cavities — modern sealed architecture removes millennia of nest opportunity in a single renovation. Swift conservation is building conservation.

## Takeaway
Swifts spend almost their entire life on the wing — landing only to nest in roof cavities.

## Takeaway
Screaming parties over rooftops at dusk are social groups prospecting for nest holes.

## Takeaway
British swifts are Amber-listed — nest-site loss from building renovation is the main pressure.

## Takeaway
They arrive from Africa in May and leave in August — a short urban breeding season.

## Takeaway
Swifts cannot use standard nest boxes on trees — they need cavities under eaves or swift bricks.

## Takeaway
They eat aerial insects caught in high-speed pursuit — tied to flying insect abundance.

## Takeaway
Preserve existing nest holes when renovating; swift bricks in new builds replace lost sites.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/swift): Swift — wildlife guide.

## Life on the wing — sleep, eat, never land
Swifts catch insects in continuous flight — aphids, spiders, flying ants, beetles — scooped in the wide gape. They drink by skimming water surfaces and bathe in rain. Research using accelerometers suggests swifts may sleep in flight, half-brain at a time, at altitude — though breeding birds return to the nest at night to incubate and brood.

Wing shape is extreme: long, narrow, curved — built for speed and endurance, not perching. Swifts have tiny feet suited only for clinging to vertical surfaces inside cavities. If a young swift leaves the nest before it can fly well, it cannot take off from flat ground — grounded swifts need to be placed on a high launch point or returned to the nest.

This aerial dependency means swifts track flying insect abundance at altitude and over towns. Pesticide reduction of aerial invertebrates may affect them, but nest-site loss is the better-documented British pressure.

Swifts pair for life and return to the same nest hole when it survives renovation — a lost hole means a lost pair, not a pair that simply moves next door. Urban swift populations are therefore sensitive to cumulative hole loss across a street, not single building works alone.

Planning guidance in some local authorities now recommends swift bricks in new residential development — policy change that scales nest-site provision beyond individual householders. Building regulations that embed swift access may matter more than garden feeders ever could for this species.

Swifts drink by skimming water surfaces in flight — garden ponds and rivers contribute to local swift habitat even though swifts never perch to drink. Water features near nesting buildings support the aerial lifestyle indirectly.

## Nest holes under eaves — and losing them
Swifts nest in cavities — gaps under roof tiles, behind soffits, in old walls and spires. They use no nest material beyond what collects naturally; eggs lie on the cavity floor or on accumulated feather and dust. Pairs return to the same site annually for years.

Modern building practice seals eaves, replaces timber soffits with closed plastic, and renovates old properties without retaining swift access. A single renovation can remove several nest sites that pairs used for a decade. Swift populations in towns track available holes — decline correlates with re-roofing and insulation campaigns that ignore cavity nesters.

Replacement solutions exist: swift bricks built into new walls, nest boxes mounted high under eaves with playbacks to attract prospectors, and leaving access gaps when re-roofing. Timing matters — work outside May to August when birds are nesting.

Swift chicks can survive days without feeding in cold weather when parents struggle to find aerial insects — but prolonged prey shortage fails broods entirely. The link between swift breeding success and flying insect abundance is direct; gardens full of swifts overhead indicate aerial invertebrate activity worth preserving through reduced pesticide use.

Heatwaves reduce aerial insect availability at altitude — swifts may travel farther to feed in extreme heat, lengthening absences from the nest hole and stressing chicks. Climate change adds prey timing pressure alongside nest-site loss.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/swift): Swift — wildlife guide.

## Screaming parties and the short summer
Screaming parties — fast-moving groups calling at roof height — occur on summer evenings and serve social and nest-prospecting functions. Young birds in their first summer join parties before breeding in later years. The sound is diagnostic: sharp screams, not the chirrup of swallows or the pip of house martins.

Swifts arrive in Britain from early May, breed rapidly — one brood, two or three eggs — and depart from late July into August. Chicks fledge and fly immediately; parents may leave soon after. The entire British season lasts barely three months.

Migration to Africa follows a route south through western Europe and across the Sahara. Wintering areas lie in sub-Saharan Africa. Population trend in Britain is downward — Amber-listed — while global status remains Least Concern due to wide range.

Swift towers — multi-hole structures on churches, schools and warehouses — have attracted breeding pairs where playbacks draw prospectors in spring. Community projects mapping screaming parties to streets with nest holes guide where swift bricks and box installation deliver the highest return.

Historic buildings — churches, mills, warehouses — often hold the highest swift nest densities in towns. Demolition or conversion of these buildings removes nest holes at scale; listing protection and sympathetic renovation can preserve holes that modern housing does not replace.

## Swift towers, bricks and what householders can do
Swift conservation in towns is nest-site conservation. If you have swifts under eaves, preserve access when renovating — work in autumn, retain gaps, fit specially designed entrance holes. New builds can incorporate swift bricks — cavity boxes built into the wall that swifts accept when sited high on sunny walls.

Community swift towers — multi-cavity structures on churches or schools — have attracted breeding pairs where playbacks draw prospectors. Recording screaming parties and nest sites contributes to local nest-site registers that inform planning and renovation guidance.

Swifts are not helped by garden feeders — they need holes in buildings and aerial insects above. The screaming bird over your street is asking for a cavity, not seed. Amber-list status makes every retained eave gap a conservation act.

Swifts are mistaken for swallows frequently — swifts are dark, scream rather than chirrup, and never perch on wires. Correct identification matters because swallows nest in open barns while swifts need sealed eaves; advice that helps one species may not help the other.

Swifts are not related to swallows despite folk confusion — swifts are closer to hummingbirds in evolutionary terms than to hirundines. Taxonomy explains the shared aerial life but different nest requirements.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for urban wildlife tied to buildings, not gardens. The swift screams over rooftops because it cannot live without nest holes — and British renovation is sealing them faster than swift bricks replace them.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/swift): Swift — wildlife guide.

## Do swifts ever land?
Almost never except at the nest. They feed, drink and sleep on the wing. Only breeding birds cling inside nest cavities to incubate and brood chicks.

## What are screaming parties?
Groups of swifts racing and calling at roof height on summer evenings — social gatherings and nest-site prospecting, often including young birds not yet breeding.

## When do swifts arrive in Britain?
From early May, later than swallows. They leave from late July into August — a shorter season than most summer migrants.

## Why are swifts declining?
Mainly nest-site loss — eaves sealed during renovation, soffits replaced, old cavities destroyed. Amber-listed in Britain. Aerial insect loss may add pressure.

## What do common swifts eat?
Common Swifts eat Aerial insects caught in flight. The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed.

## Where do common swifts live?
Common Swifts live in Breeds across Europe and Asia, Winters in sub-Saharan Africa; summer visitor to British towns. The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed.

## Are common swifts dangerous?
The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed. Give wild common swifts space; do not corner or handle them.

## How long do common swifts live?
A precise wild lifespan for common swifts is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## How big is a common swift?
A Common Swift is about 42–48 cm. The common swift (Apus apus) spends almost its entire life on the wing, nesting in cavities under eaves and screaming over rooftops in summer; British numbers have declined as building renovation seals nest holes — Amber-listed. Conservation status: Amber-listed; nest-site loss.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/quail): Quail — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant.

## Introduction
Quail are small, cryptic gamebirds of open grassland and cropland — streaked brown, compact, designed to crouch and hide rather than fly. When people say 'quail' they may mean the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) — a summer visitor and scarce breeder in Britain whose male calls a distinctive three-note 'wet-my-lips' from deep cover — or the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) — domesticated worldwide for eggs and meat and rarely confused in the field.

Common quails arrive in Britain from Africa and southern Europe in spring, breed occasionally in arable crops and rough grassland, and are far more often heard than seen. The call carries from wheat fields and hay meadows; the bird itself stays hidden in crop rows. Hunting and migration take birds across the Mediterranean; in Britain the species is a bird of passage and rare nester rather than a farmland regular.

Searching 'quail' without context mixes wild migrants, domestic stock and restaurant portions. A family-level guide separates the common quail's cryptic wild ecology from the Japanese quail's domestication — same family, different stories.

Common quail searches spike in summer when males call from crops — most searchers hear the bird without seeing it, which makes accurate family-level guidance essential before confusing wild migrants with domestic poultry.

## Takeaway
Common quail is a small streaked gamebird — heard calling from crops, rarely seen in Britain.

## Takeaway
Male call is a three-note 'wet-my-lips' — diagnostic from arable and hay meadows in summer.

## Takeaway
Scarce breeder in Britain; most records are migrants and summer visitors.

## Takeaway
Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — not the bird calling in wheat fields.

## Takeaway
Quails crouch and hide rather than flush — cryptic plumage matches crop and grassland.

## Takeaway
Migration across Mediterranean faces hunting pressure; Britain is edge of breeding range.

## Takeaway
Family Phasianidae includes pheasant, grouse and partridge — quail are the smallest.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/quail): Quail — wildlife guide.

## Common quail — heard, not seen
The common quail is a summer migrant to Britain — arriving from wintering areas in Africa and southern Europe, occasionally staying to nest in arable crops, rough grassland and hay meadows. The male advertises with a distinctive three-note whistle — rendered 'wet-my-lips' — from deep cover. Walkers hear quail from field edges; seeing one requires flushing it from almost underfoot.

Plumage is streaked brown and buff — camouflage for crouching in crop rows. Quails prefer to run and hide; flight is explosive, short and low when finally forced. Nests are ground scrapes in vegetation, often in cereals; clutches are large for the bird's size.

British breeding is sporadic and local — many quail records are calling males on passage rather than confirmed nesting. The species is not a Red List priority in the same way as curlew but remains a scarce and declining breeder across parts of western Europe.

Common quail are legally hunted in some European countries during migration — the Mediterranean bottleneck is a documented mortality source unrelated to British breeding habitat. Conservation of British quail as a scarce breeder connects to international migration policy as well as arable field management.

Common quail are sometimes recorded on nocturnal migration over Britain — detected by call on calm nights rather than seen. Daytime records in arable fields usually mean a lingering male on territory or passage, not a established breeding colony.

Quail are migratory across much of their range — British records include overshooting migrants and weather-driven influxes as well as occasional breeders. A calling male in June does not confirm nesting without later evidence of chicks or confirmed breeding behaviour.

## Japanese quail — domestic, not wild
The Japanese quail is the species behind most quail eggs in shops and quail meat in restaurants — domesticated from East Asian wild stock, bred in captivity globally for rapid egg production and small meat yield. It is not the bird calling from British wheat fields.

Confusion arises because both are called quail and share genus Coturnix. Wild Japanese quail occur in East Asia; feral populations exist in some regions from escapes. In Britain, any quail in a cage or on a menu is almost certainly domestic Japanese quail, not common quail.

The domestication story matters for search accuracy: 'quail' queries mix wildlife, farming and cuisine. Common quail conservation is migration and occasional breeding habitat; Japanese quail welfare is poultry husbandry — unrelated except at family level.

Quail chicks are precocial — they leave the nest soon after hatching and follow the female through crop rows. Early harvest or field spraying during breeding destroys broods as completely as nest destruction — the mobile chick strategy fails against modern arable calendars as ground-nesting waders do.

Arable field margins with retained stubble and reduced early cultivation benefit quail and other cryptic ground nesters generally — the same agri-environment logic that helps skylark and lapwing helps quail where they attempt to breed.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/quail): Quail — wildlife guide.

## Migration, hunting and the Mediterranean bottleneck
Common quails migrate nocturnally across the Mediterranean — a route where hunting in some southern European countries takes large numbers during spring and autumn passage. Satellite tracking has revealed complex routes between African wintering grounds and Eurasian breeding areas.

Britain lies at the northwestern edge of breeding range. Climate and crop patterns may shift where occasional nesting succeeds — arable fields with retained winter stubble and reduced early mowing of hay benefit ground-nesting cryptic birds generally.

Quail are Least Concern globally with a wide range across Eurasia and Africa. Regional declines in western Europe link to agricultural intensification and migration mortality rather than British farmland alone.

Japanese quail in captivity are bred in intensive systems for egg and meat production — welfare and disease standards apply to poultry, not wildlife law. Confusion between wild common quail and domestic Japanese quail affects search results, cuisine queries and occasional illegal release stories that do not help wild populations.

Gamebird releases of non-native species on estates are separate from wild common quail ecology — pheasant and red-legged partridge releases do not supplement quail populations and can confuse searchers looking for small brown gamebirds in farmland.

## Quail versus partridge and pheasant
Quails share family Phasianidae with pheasant, red-legged partridge, grey partridge and grouse — all ground-dwelling gamebirds shaped by open-country hunting culture. Quail are the smallest and most cryptic — a bird of summer crops and grassland rather than hedgerow and woodland edge.

Grey partridge and quail sometimes occupy similar mental space for searchers — small brown farmland birds. Partridge are chunkier, covey-forming, resident; quail are migratory, solitary in display, vocally advertised. Identification by call separates them instantly in summer.

A family quail guide serves searchers who hear a call from a field and type 'quail' — directing them to common quail ecology, not domestic egg production or pheasant shooting culture.

Quail occupy the same mental search space as grey partridge for some users — both are cryptic brown gamebirds of open country. Partridge are resident, covey-forming and chunkier; quail are migratory, vocal and smaller. Summer call is the reliable separator when plumage is never seen.

Quail in European folklore and cuisine long predates Japanese quail domestication — wild common quail were eaten historically where caught; modern menu quail is almost entirely farmed Japanese quail, not wild-shot common quail from British fields.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education that separates wild migrants from domestic stock. 'Quail' in a wheat field is common quail — heard, hidden, scarce; 'quail' on a menu is usually Japanese quail from a cage.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/quail): Quail — wildlife guide.

## What does a quail sound like?
Male common quail gives a three-note whistle — 'wet-my-lips' — repeated from deep cover in arable crops and hay meadows in summer. It is usually heard, not seen.

## Do quails breed in Britain?
Occasionally — common quail is a scarce summer breeder, mostly in arable crops and rough grassland. Many records are calling males on passage rather than confirmed nesting.

## Is quail on a menu wild?
Almost always domestic Japanese quail, farmed for meat and eggs — not the wild common quail calling from British fields.

## How do I see a quail?
With difficulty. They crouch in crop rows and prefer running to flying. Walking field margins may flush one explosively at close range — otherwise listen for the male call.

## What do quails eat?
Quails eat Domestic Japanese quail — Separate species — global egg and meat production. Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant.

## Where do quails live?
Quails live in Grassland and cropland across Eurasia and Africa, Common quail a rare summer visitor and breeder in Britain. Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant.

## Are quails dangerous?
Quails are domesticated animals and are not dangerous to people in the wild-predator sense. Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant. Usual risks are husbandry and handling, not unprovoked attacks.

## How long do quails live?
A precise wild lifespan for quails is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## How big are quails?
A Quails is about 'Wet-my-lips' (Male common quail call from deep cover). Quails are small cryptic gamebirds; the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a scarce British summer visitor heard calling from arable crops, while the Japanese quail is domesticated for eggs and meat — both in family Phasianidae with grouse and pheasant. Conservation status: Scarce summer visitor and breeder.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grouse): Grouse — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Grouse are moorland and forest gamebirds; Britain holds red grouse on heather moors, declining black grouse with lek displays, and capercaillie in Scottish pine forest — status ranges from shooting-abundant to Critically Endangered as British breeders.

## Introduction
Grouse are plump, ground-dwelling gamebirds of moorland, tundra and boreal forest — family Phasianidae, subfamily Tetraoninae. In Britain three species matter: the red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) — endemic to heather moorland, chestnut-brown, the bird behind driven grouse shooting — the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) — lekking males with lyre-shaped tail feathers, Amber-listed and lost from most of England — and the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) — massive forest grouse reintroduced to Scotland, now Critically Endangered as a British breeder.

Grouse depend on specific vegetation — heather for red grouse, mixed moor edge for black grouse, native pine forest for capercaillie. They are sedentary, territorial and shaped by land management: muirburn rotation for heather, predator control on shooting estates, forestry expansion and fence collisions for black grouse.

Searching 'grouse' without naming the species conflates a abundant shooting bird with two in serious trouble. Red grouse remain numerous on managed moors; black grouse and capercaillie are conservation emergencies — lek loss, fence mortality and forest fragmentation respectively.

Grouse shooting culture, moorland walking and capercaillie crisis news all drive 'grouse' searches — a family guide prevents the abundant red grouse from obscuring black grouse and capercaillie emergencies. One family name covers three fates; species-level detail is not optional for honest guidance.

## Takeaway
Red grouse live on heather moorland — chestnut-brown, endemic subspecies, abundant on shooting moors.

## Takeaway
Black grouse lek on moor edge — males display lyre tail; lost from most of England, Amber-listed.

## Takeaway
Capercaillie is a huge forest grouse — Critically Endangered as British breeder in Scottish pinewoods.

## Takeaway
Grouse depend on specific habitat management — heather rotation, open moor, native forest.

## Takeaway
Fence collisions kill black grouse in uplands — marking fences reduces mortality.

## Takeaway
Red grouse abundance reflects shooting estate management as much as natural carrying capacity.

## Takeaway
Family overview essential — 'grouse' spans abundant red grouse and critically rare capercaillie.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grouse): Grouse — wildlife guide.

## Red grouse — heather, muirburn and the shooting moor
Red grouse are endemic to Britain and Ireland — a subspecies of willow grouse that never develops white winter plumage. They live on heather moorland, feeding on heather shoots, buds and seeds, nesting in deep heather cover. Populations cycle on multi-year patterns linked to parasite load and weather.

Muirburn — rotational burning of heather to create fresh growth — shapes red grouse habitat on managed moors. Shooting estates maintain heather age mosaic for grouse; conservation debate centres on burn extent, peat damage and raptor persecution on some moors. Red grouse numbers on managed estates can be high; the bird is not Red-listed.

For searchers, 'grouse' often means red grouse — the bird on moorland walks in Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales. It is the default grouse of British upland experience.

Red grouse shooting economics maintain heather moorland that might otherwise be afforested or converted — the conservation outcome of grouse moor management is contested, with peat damage from burning, raptor persecution on some estates and biodiversity trade-offs against open heather habitat that suits red grouse and some waders.

Willow grouse — the white winter-plumage relative of red grouse — occurs in Arctic Eurasia but not Britain. Red grouse isolation as a non-white subspecies is a quirk of British post-glacial history, not a separate species split.

Heather beetle outbreaks and disease can crash red grouse populations on moors independently of shooting pressure — cyclic boom and bust is natural, though management and medication on some estates smooths cycles for shooting interests.

## Black grouse — the lek and the decline
Black grouse are larger, sexually dimorphic — males black with white wing bar and lyre-shaped tail held fanned in display; females grey-brown, cryptic. Males gather at leks — communal display grounds on moor edge — in dawn rituals where females choose mates.

Black grouse have declined across Britain and lost range from Wales, much of England and lowland Scotland. Causes include afforestation of open moor, overgrazing, fence collisions — males fly low across valleys and strike deer fences — and predation. Amber-listed, they are a conservation priority where reintroduction and fence marking programmes operate.

Seeing a black grouse lek is among Britain's great wildlife spectacles — remaining sites are local and often wardened during display season.

Black grouse require transition habitat — moor edge, woodland fringe, rough pasture — that intensive forestry and sheep farming removed from much of Scotland and Wales. Reintroduction projects use fence marking, predator control and habitat restoration together; single-measure fixes rarely succeed.

Black grouse translocation projects require source populations, suitable receptor habitat and years of fence marking and predator management — reintroduction is not a quick fix for a species that needs landscape-scale moor edge restoration.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grouse): Grouse — wildlife guide.

## Capercaillie — forest giant in crisis
Capercaillie are the largest grouse — males display with tail fanned, wings drooped, in native pine forest. Reintroduced to Scotland after extinction, the population peaked then collapsed. Capercaillie is Critically Endangered as a British breeder — fewer than a thousand birds, confined to Scottish pinewoods.

Threats include forest fragmentation, deer fencing mortality, disturbance by recreational access, wet springs that chill chicks, and predation. Forestry management that opens canopy and maintains bilberry understory helps; capercaillie require large contiguous forest with minimal fence barriers.

Capercaillie and red grouse share the name grouse but not habitat or status — searching 'grouse' without context misses that one British grouse species faces extirpation.

Capercaillie lek in forest clearings — males display at dawn in traditional sites used across generations. Disturbance by recreational access, dog walking and photography at leks reduces mating success; seasonal path closures in core pinewoods are a direct conservation tool for the remaining British population.

Capercaillie diet shifts seasonally — pine needles, bilberry, shoots and invertebrates for chicks — all tied to native pinewood structure. Plantation forestry without bilberry understory and with deer fences does not substitute for native Caledonian forest habitat.

## Grouse conservation — fences, forest and honest status
Practical grouse conservation differs by species. Black grouse: mark or remove deer fences on moorland, maintain open moor edge, control grazing, support lek site protection. Capercaillie: reduce fence mortality, manage forestry for bilberry and low disturbance, limit recreational pressure in core woods. Red grouse: peatland restoration, sustainable muirburn, ending illegal raptor persecution on moors.

A family grouse guide exists because 'grouse' searches mix shooting culture, moorland walking and conservation concern. Red grouse remain on moors in numbers; black grouse and capercaillie need urgent action — the family name hides opposite trajectories.

Searching 'grouse' from Britain without context usually means red grouse on a moorland walk — not capercaillie in crisis or black grouse lek. The family name hides three conservation statuses; a family guide is the minimum honesty required before species-level pages carry the detail.

Public access management in capercaillie woods balances recreation rights with disturbance reduction — seasonal path routing and dog control during lek and breeding season are active conservation tools, not optional courtesy.

Moorland walkers who report black grouse lek locations and capercaillie sightings contribute data that directs fence-marking and access management — public reporting supports targeted action for the two grouse species in decline while red grouse remain the default moorland encounter.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education where one word covers opposite fates. 'Grouse' on a moor is red grouse; 'grouse' in conservation news may be capercaillie — Critically Endangered as a British breeder.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grouse): Grouse — wildlife guide.

## What is the difference between red and black grouse?
Red grouse are chestnut-brown, live on heather moorland, endemic to Britain. Black grouse are larger — males black with lyre tail, lek on moor edge — Amber-listed and declined over most of range.

## What is a grouse lek?
A communal display ground where male black grouse perform at dawn — tail fanned, wings spread — while females choose mates. One of Britain's remaining lek sites is a conservation priority.

## Are capercaillie found in Britain?
Yes, in Scottish native pinewoods — reintroduced after extinction. Critically Endangered as a British breeder with very small population.

## Why do black grouse hit fences?
Males fly low across valleys during lek display and commute between feeding and display areas. Unmarked deer fences across moorland cause fatal collisions — marking fences reduces kills.

## What habitat do grouse need?
Red grouse: heather moorland with rotational muirburn. Black grouse: moor edge with lek sites and open structure. Capercaillie: large native pine forest with bilberry understory.

## What do grouses eat?
Grouses eat Heather moor — Red grouse tied to managed heather moorland. Grouse are moorland and forest gamebirds; Britain holds red grouse on heather moors, declining black grouse with lek displays, and capercaillie in Scottish pine forest — status ranges from shooting-abundant to Critically Endangered as British breeders.

## Are grouses dangerous?
Grouses are not generally dangerous to people. Grouse are moorland and forest gamebirds; Britain holds red grouse on heather moors, declining black grouse with lek displays, and capercaillie in Scottish pine forest — status ranges from shooting-abundant to Critically Endangered as British breeders. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How long do grouses live?
A precise wild lifespan for grouses is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Grouse are moorland and forest gamebirds; Britain holds red grouse on heather moors, declining black grouse with lek displays, and capercaillie in Scottish pine forest — status ranges from shooting-abundant to Critically Endangered as British breeders. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## How big is a grouse?
A Grouse is about Black grouse lek (Males display communally — Amber-listed in Britain). Grouse are moorland and forest gamebirds; Britain holds red grouse on heather moors, declining black grouse with lek displays, and capercaillie in Scottish pine forest — status ranges from shooting-abundant to Critically Endangered as British breeders.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/curlew): Curlew — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) is a large wader with a long downcurved bill and bubbling call, breeding on moor and wet grassland; British numbers have fallen catastrophically — Red-listed — and the species is Near Threatened globally.

## Introduction
The Eurasian curlew is a large wader with a long downcurved bill, mottled brown plumage and a bubbling, ascending call that carries across open country — one of the defining sounds of British upland and wet grassland. It probes soft ground for worms, beetles and small invertebrates; the bill shape reaches prey hidden deep in mud and soil.

British breeding curlews have declined catastrophically — Red-listed, with populations falling across England, Wales and lowland Scotland as wet grassland was drained, moorland fragmented and predation on ground nests increased. Ireland has lost most breeding curlews. The bird persists on upland moors, hay meadows managed late for nesting and coastal grazing marshes where sympathetic farming continues.

Globally the Eurasian curlew is Near Threatened — uplisted as declines across Europe confirmed the British pattern was not local. Winter curlews on estuaries are a mix of British breeders and continental visitors; saving the curlew means saving wet breeding habitat and reducing nest failure on farmland and moor — not just protecting winter mudflats where birds gather after breeding has already failed inland.

Curlew recovery has become a national priority in Britain and Ireland — the bird's call is used to mobilise farmland and moorland management in ways that benefit other ground-nesting waders sharing wet grassland and late-cut meadow.

## Takeaway
Curlews are large waders with long downcurved bills and a bubbling ascending call.

## Takeaway
British breeding curlews have declined catastrophically — Red-listed, lost from much of lowland range.

## Takeaway
Near Threatened globally — European declines drove IUCN uplisting.

## Takeaway
Nest on open ground in moor, wet meadow and rough pasture — eggs trampled by livestock, lost to mowing.

## Takeaway
Predation on ground nests — foxes, crows — adds pressure where habitat remains.

## Takeaway
Late-cut hay meadows and sympathetic upland grazing support remaining breeders.

## Takeaway
Winter estuary curlews include British and continental birds — breeding habitat is the crisis.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/curlew): Curlew — wildlife guide.

## The call and the bill — moorland icons
Curlew song is a wild, bubbling ascent — 'cur-lee cur-lee' — delivered in display flight over breeding territory. The call once rang across lowland wet meadows and upland moors alike; silence across former strongholds is the measure of loss.

The bill is the tool: long, downcurved, sensitive at the tip — probing earthworm burrows in damp pasture, beetle larvae in moorland soil, crabs and molluscs on winter estuaries. Curlews feed by touch as much as sight, walking slowly across open ground. The bill length lets curlews reach prey in soft mud and deep soil that shorter-billed waders cannot access.

In flight, curlews show broad wings and a white rump band — a large, unmissable silhouette over moor and estuary. They are not subtle birds; their absence from landscapes where they bred within living memory is equally unsubtle. An empty moor that once held displaying curlews is a moor that lost something measurable.

Curlew chicks are precocial — they leave the nest soon after hatching and forage with parents across wet pasture. Chick survival depends on invertebrate food in soft ground and on livestock grazing that is not so intensive that trampling kills chicks — the same calendar and stocking pressure that affects lapwing broods.

Curlew nest finding by volunteers uses display behaviour and habitat cues — trained surveyors mark nests for protection agreements with land managers. Each protected nest in a declining population contributes disproportionately to regional recovery targets.

Curlew territorial display includes bubbling call and slow wingbeats over moor and meadow — the display advertises occupancy to rivals and attracts mates. Loss of displaying birds from a valley means breeding has ceased, not that birds have become quiet.

## Breeding on the ground — mowing, drainage and predation
Curlews nest in a scrape on open ground — moorland hummock, rushy pasture, unimproved hay meadow — with little concealment. Eggs are cryptic but nests are trampled by early grazing livestock, destroyed by early hay cuts and predated by foxes, badgers and corvids.

Agricultural change drove decline: drainage removed wet meadows, silage replaced late-cut hay, moorland was afforested or intensified, and generalist predator numbers rose in fragmented landscapes. A curlew nest in a field mown in May loses the brood entirely — one cut, one failed season.

Where curlews persist — late-cut meadows in upland valleys, upland moors with controlled grazing, coastal grazing marshes — management is deliberate: delayed mowing until midsummer, electric fencing around nest clusters, predator management on some estates, and rush pasture retention. Each successful nest is the product of timing as much as habitat.

Curlew ambassadors programmes on upland farms use nest finding, marking and delayed mowing agreements to protect known nests — practical field work that converts general concern into site-specific action. Each fledged chick in a declining population has disproportionate conservation value.

Fox predation on curlew nests increases where moorland meets improved pasture — edge habitats concentrate predators and ground nests simultaneously. Predator management without habitat restoration treats symptom; habitat without predator control often fails on small fragments.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/curlew): Curlew — wildlife guide.

## British collapse and global Near Threatened status
Britain and Ireland held a substantial share of western European breeding curlews. Breeding numbers have fallen by more than half in recent decades — among the steepest declines of any British bird. England has lost curlews from most lowland sites; Wales and Ireland show similar patterns.

The scale triggered international concern. IUCN uplisted Eurasian curlew to Near Threatened as range-wide monitoring confirmed Britain was not an outlier but part of a European contraction. Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands report parallel losses.

Winter estuary counts remain higher — curlews gather on mudflats from autumn through spring — but winter abundance masked breeding collapse until survey separated resident breeders from visitors. Saving curlews requires breeding ground action, not satisfaction that winter mudflats still hold birds. The curlew calling on an estuary in January may have bred in Norway — not on the meadow that was mown in May.

Irish curlew decline has been especially severe — remaining breeding strongholds are targeted for intensive recovery with habitat creation and predator management. Britain and Ireland share responsibility for a significant fraction of western European curlew; national decline is a transboundary conservation problem.

Silage and early hay on lowland wet fields failed curlew broods before national decline was fully documented — the mechanism was understood locally on farms before it appeared in scientific literature as range contraction.

## What curlew recovery needs
Curlew recovery plans focus on wet grassland and moor edge: delay hay cuts until midsummer, maintain rushy pasture, reduce fox predation in key areas, mark nests and negotiate with farmers on late-cut agreements. Upland moors retain curlews where grazing intensity allows nesting tussocks and predation is manageable.

Public reporting of breeding curlews — display calls, territorial pairs — feeds national monitoring. Every confirmed breeding site is a conservation anchor. Curlew recovery is not a garden project — it is a farmland and moorland project requiring calendar change and wet ground restoration.

The curlew is the flagship wader of British farmland and moor decline — Near Threatened globally, Red-listed locally, and a bird whose call people remember from childhood in places where it no longer nests. Restoration is habitat and timing: wet ground, late cuts, ground nest protection. Without those, the call survives only in memory and on winter mudflats visited by birds that no longer breed here.

Winter curlew feeding on estuaries depends on mudflat invertebrates — coastal habitat protection supports winter survival but cannot replace lost breeding meadows. Full curlew lifecycle conservation requires both inland breeding ground restoration and estuary food security for birds that survive to attempt breeding again.

Curlew winter feeding on estuaries uses long bills to probe mud for worms and crustaceans — winter diet differs from breeding season invertebrates in soil. Estuary protection supports winter survival; breeding meadow restoration supports recruitment — both are necessary.

## WARN work
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for breeding birds in real collapse. The curlew is Near Threatened globally and Red-listed in Britain — a moorland call lost to drainage, early mowing and ground-nest failure.

## Donation hook
If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.