Save the Wader - Meet the waders

Meet the waders

Lapwing

Waders are native to the UK and are birds of iconic importance. There are over 200 species of wader, many of which have long legs that enable them to feed in shallow water. Some of the most popular and well known include the curlew, lapwing, golden plover, common snipe and redshank.

Golden Plover

All waders are ground-nesting, so they are vulnerable to attack from all sorts of predators, including foxes, stoats, weasels and other species of bird. Predators either take eggs from nests, or kill the chicks before they are able to fly.

Red Shank

The Breeding Bird Survey for 2006 showed that within the UK between 1994 and 2006, lapwing numbers had decreased by 17%, redshank by 21%, and curlew by 37%. Between 2005 and 2006 there had also been a 13% decrease in the common snipe, That species, along with the redshank, has seen a decline in the UK breeding population over the last 25 years. The lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshank are all amber listed species of conservation concern.

Curlew

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