Farmers and volunteers working together to ensure the next generation can enjoy Curlew!
We are a grassroots community group focused on improving breeding success rates on farms located between Ingleton and Settle, North Yorkshire.
The Clapham Curlew Cluster is a group of 17 farms and 34 volunteers, in partnership with RSPB, set up in 2022.
The Curlew is currently an endangered red-listed species in the UK and in severe decline, there are only 500 breeding pairs of Curlew left south of the Pennines.
The Clapham area is an incredibly important area for their long term success: Northern England uplands and the Pennines host 25% of breeding pairs in the UK and is a crucial stronghold for the species.
Curlews are part of our cultural landscape and it is our mission to protect their numbers and ensure the next generation in our community can enjoy this iconic species of the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines.
Action is needed!
There is often a misconception that we will always have Curlew around, but with current productivity so low, they are vulnerable and we could easily find our community suffering the same drastic loss that has occurred in the South of England.
Without chicks fledging we will not have a future population. Particularly in the lowlands where farming practices and predators are the major problem.
How we do it
From April to June our volunteers do 3 Wader Surveys on each farm in partnership with RSPB.
If we find a nest that is vulnerable to predation or farm machinery, with agreement from the farmer, we erect a protective 20m by 20m electric fence around the nest.
If the nest is in a field that is due to be mown for silage production, and the farmer is willing to leave an acre around the nest that is not mown, we can make available a “nest protection payment “ to compensate the farmer for his loss of silage.
The importance of increased fencing to prevent ground predation followed the data. In 2024, 15 curlew nests were monitored – 8 fenced and 7 unfenced. 75% of the nests in the fenced nests hatched eggs. But of the unfenced nest only 2 out of 7 hatched (29%).
Cameras monitor the fenced nests and provide vital information on the predation which can then be assessed so the most appropriate preventative action can be taken in following breeding seasons.
How you can get involved
We are a small group of local volunteers, more volunteers are welcome for help with surveys, fencing and fundraising. If you’re interested please get in touch!
You can email us on claphamcurlews@gmail.com
We need more volunteers to help with the surveys
We need more volunteers to help with fencing
We need help with raising funds
More information on Curlews
For further information or to donate to a national charity visit:
Curlew Recovery Partnership
Providing co-ordination and support to those engaged in Curlew conservation.
Curlew Action
Information, resources and news on various projects to support Curlew conservation.
