First Curlew Country project chicks fly the nest

Two years ago, scientists worked tirelessly to monitor over 30 curlew nests but no chicks survived to hatch.

So The Curlew Country project was born and project workers intervened, applying for a licence to remove and incubate 50 eggs and rear them by hand.

They were so successful that 21 chicks were reared through to fledging.

The first batch of chicks has now flown freely, outside of their original enclosure.

This is a landmark event for the project, and for national curlew conservation, as it suggests what could be possible.

Those working on the project have learned about the rearing process, ranging from the foods the chicks preferred, the stages at which they needed to be moved into larger enclosures and the level of support they required to learn certain skills.

Each stage of the process brought its own challenges to the small team running the project.

Locating nests before a predator gets to them is a difficult process, particularly when a curlew does its best to disguise the nest.

Once collected and incubated, eggs require regular monitoring as hatching can take up to three days once the first cracks emerge.

Once hatched, project staff encouraged them to eat mini mealworms and chick crumbs, often using a pencil to imitate pecking until the chicks are confident to try it themselves.

The project, hosted by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), has always worked closely with the local community and invited two small gatherings of farming partners, supporters, and volunteers to glimpse them from a distance before they were set free, with steps taken to ensure not to tame the birds.

“Headstarting chicks is not a long-term solution to curlew decline, something that all of the Curlew Country team are well aware, but it will buy us time," said project assistant Amber Bicheno.

“Time in which wider solutions can be found, and where we can work with farmers to make a real difference.”

The reared chicks have been fitted with colour rings with a unique two letter code.

This allows them to be re-identified by other birders if the code is read. If you spot a colour ringed curlew, report the sighting to Tony Cross, Curlew Country ornithologist, by e-mailing tonycross@virgin.net.