By james art nature
Turnstone feeding, Titchwell Beach – credit to Chris Gilbert
Scientists reviewing the conservation status of the world’s bird populations have confirmed that four species of shorebirds in the UK have seen significant declines in numbers. As a result, these species have moved to higher threat categories on the IUCN Global Red List of Threatened Species.
Most of these species travel to the UK in winter from colder climates, using the coastline and estuaries to rest and feed on nutrient-rich food before their migration back to their northern breeding grounds in the spring.
Gray Plover, Titchwell Beach – credit to Chris Gilbert
The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Birds Worldwide by Birdlife International shows the following shorebird species in the UK that have moved to higher threat categories:
Gray plovers spend the winter mainly in estuaries and have declined by more than 30% globally since the late 1990s. Their conservation status has moved two categories from ‘least concern’ to ‘vulnerable’.
Dunlins also spend the winter mainly in estuaries and have declined by at least 20% globally since the early 2000s, moving them up one category from ‘least threatened’ to ‘near threatened’.
Rolling stones can be found in more countries around the world than almost any other bird species and mainly spend the winter on rockier shores. They have declined by at least 20% globally since the mid-2000s and moved one category from “least threatened” to “near threatened”.
Curly-headed sandstones are a rare species that pass through the UK on their autumn migration between wintering areas in the south and arctic breeding grounds. They have declined by more than 30% globally since the late 2000s and moved one category from “near threatened” to “vulnerable”.
International cooperation is vital to protect migratory bird populations
The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Birds has revealed a deeply worrying downward trend in the number of migratory shorebirds worldwide, with 16 species being moved into higher threat categories. These shorebirds are just some of the 145 bird species whose global extinction risk category has been changed in the 2024 update.
Dunlin Flock, Tichwell Beach – credit to Phil Gwilliam
Following migratory routes called flyways, migratory birds require multiple interconnected resting and feeding sites, making them particularly at risk from threats such as habitat loss due to sea-level rise and climate change.
Many of these shorebirds are still commonly seen on their flyways. But new analyzes of data from long-term monitoring schemes reveal that global populations of some species have declined by more than a third in recent decades. In some cases, the rate of decline is accelerating, highlighting the urgent need for research to better understand the underlying issues causing the decline and conservation actions to address them.
As the COP16 Convention on Biological Diversity draws to a close, governments must not miss this vital opportunity to take urgent action to reverse habitat loss, protect species and preserve the ecosystems on which all wildlife and people depend. The decline of migratory shorebirds internationally highlights the significant challenges facing nature globally, as well as the critical need to cooperate across borders and ensure that countries take action to protect the habitats found along migratory routes these endangered birds are on the move.
“Migratory bird populations know no boundaries and are a key indicator of the health of the planet. As the return of many migratory bird species to our shores is announced each year, it is extremely disturbing to see this decline.
“The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed two years ago, created a chance to reverse nature’s decline, but now we really need to turn these promises into urgent action. The UK Government must urgently commit to publishing detailed, ambitious action plans outlining how the UK will contribute to global efforts to save our natural world. Time is running out, but we still have an opportunity to take a leading role in protecting nature and the wild spaces we all rely on.”
“COP16 should be the catalyst for governments to back up the commitments made two years ago with meaningful action to reverse the catastrophic decline in species’ populations. This means action to transform our food, energy and industrial systems, backed by the necessary funding. The decline of migratory birds is emblematic of how we are currently failing. We need international cooperation to conserve these species and their habitats and protect the livelihoods of millions of people whose survival depends on them.”
Lancashire’s coastline is a lifeline for migrating birds
The Red List update shines a light on the UK’s coasts, and in particular its estuaries, and their global importance to migratory birds. Here in Lancashire, the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay are a vital home for winter waterfowl.
Every autumn, hundreds of thousands of endangered waders and waterfowl embark on epic journeys over land and sea to reach Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary and spend the winter here.
Rose-footed Geese leave their homes in Iceland and Greenland and travel over 3,000 miles to our mud fields; The Godwits also make the journey here from Iceland; Dunlins make their way to us from Eastern Europe and Russia and Wigeon come from Northern Europe to the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay.
The draw to Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary is its magnificent mud, which is full of nutrients vital to sustaining the lives of many birds, fish, mammals and other wildlife, especially during the harsh winter months. It teems with microscopic worms, thousands of snails and hundreds of clams.
For many migratory birds, including the common woodpecker, tern and gray plover, the UK’s estuaries are a vital lifeline as part of a connected network of coastal habitats along the bird ‘superhighway’ known as the East Atlantic flyway. Millions of birds travel back and forth each year along the flyway, with the rich diversity of coastal habitats providing essential nutrients and a place to refuel.
While the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay are protected by the special designations Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), RAMSAR and also have Special Protection Area (SPA) status, like all estuaries in the UK they are under threat. Our estuaries face a myriad of challenges, including pollution, development and climate change, with rising sea levels causing increased erosion and increased risk of coastal flooding, forcing wildlife to live in ever smaller spaces.
Lancashire’s coastal areas are not only vital for wildlife, they also provide food, jobs and flood protection. Sea-level rise also threatens nearby communities and businesses, with some current coastal defenses struggling to cope with rising sea levels. Fortunately, estuaries can play an integral role in helping to tackle climate change by sequestering large amounts of carbon while acting as a natural defense against flooding.
“The irony is that the estuaries and other coastal areas that these birds and our coastal communities rely on are not only vital to wildlife, they can also help combat the climate crisis – if we look after them.” But globally, they are being degraded or destroyed globally four times faster than rainforests***. It is crucial that we protect the UK’s coasts if we are to tackle the nature and climate crisis.
In the UK, the RSPB works hard to protect estuaries and make them the best they can be for wildlife. Here in Lancashire, the RSPB does this by protecting the wider landscape around the estuaries, including looking after the Marshside and Hesketh out Marsh habitats, which can also act as natural flood defences. Where possible and beneficial for wildlife, the RSPB also improves the wetland landscape. And most importantly, it helps raise awareness of how visitors to these habitats can help keep these birds healthy. By providing the birds that make our estuaries their winter homes with enough space to rest and feed, and by reducing the level of disturbance they face, we can give them the best chance of surviving the winter months.
“Fortunately, we can all play our part in supporting our very tired and very hungry shorebirds after they arrive this winter, and the best way to do that is by not disturbing them.” If we disturb these birds, they will be frightened and fly away, which wastes all the energy they are trying so desperately to muster from feeding. We ask that people stick to public footpaths, avoid getting too close to large groups of feeding or resting birds and keep dogs on leads during this vulnerable season. If we work together, our wintering birds can get the food and rest time they so urgently need, while we are lucky enough to have them here in the UK.”