Curlew revival continues at Elmley Nature Reserve

The return of the curlew to the lowland landscapes of Britain is a slow game of patience and precise intervention. At Elmley Nature Reserve in Kent, that patience is paying off. According to the BBC, birds from previous releases have paired up and returned to nest at the site, a development estate manager Gareth Fulton described as really excitingly positive.

The South of England Curlew Recovery Project

Elmley is one of three sites involved in the South of England Curlew Recovery Project. The operation relies on a specific biological quirk: curlews tend to return to their place of birth to nest. By hatching birds at the reserve, conservationists hope to anchor the species to the Isle of Sheppey.

The process involves a strategic partnership with healthier populations in upland areas, such as the Yorkshire Dales. To minimize impact on those populations, eggs are removed from vulnerable locations—such as fields that will be mown for grass before chicks are ready or areas near footpaths—and transported to Elmley for hatching. Natural England provides the licenses necessary for the sites to receive and rear these eggs.

The scale of the effort has grown steadily.

BTO Red List and the Cause of Decline

The urgency of the project is underscored by data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). According to the BTO, populations of these largest European wading birds have dropped by roughly 50% since 1995. This collapse has landed the curlew on the organization’s conservation concern red list.

The reasons for the disappearance are man-made and environmental. Simon Higgs, a curlew keeper at Elmley, told the BBC that the decline is primarily driven by an increase in predators and shifting farming practices.

Simon Higgs, Elmley curlew keeper, noted that curlews used to nest in almost any hay meadow.

Maturation Timelines at Elmley

While the return of nesting pairs is a milestone, the project is not yet at the stage of self-sustaining growth. The birds returning to the reserve are still very young and require significant time to reach full maturity.

Gareth Fulton, estate manager, explained that the birds are currently like teenagers and that they hope the birds will be old enough to start having their own chicks next year.

The success of the project now depends on whether these teenagers can successfully transition into breeding adults and establish a permanent, wild-born generation on the reserve.