Big winners and losers in UK wading bird numbers

The number of ringed plovers in the UK has declined by a massive 39 per cent

The spectacle of multitudes of wintering birds on an estuary in the UK is changing, according to a new report from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

The results of analysis of the latest data collected by thousands of Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) volunteers has shown that populations of the UK’s most familiar coastal waders have declined markedly in the last 10 years.

Ringed plover has fared worst with a 39 per cent decline followed by redshank at 26 per cent down, dunlin at 23 per cent, curlew at 17 per cent and oystercatcher at 15 per cent.

These are among the eight most abundant wintering waders on UK estuaries, yet the populations of all of them are declining.

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