Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is providing funding for UK-wide research into curlew conservation.

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s breeding birds to include curlew. The BBS is a partnership jointly funded by the British Trust for Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

In England, Natural England’s (NE) bird research is primarily funded via its Species Recovery Programme (SRP), with more SRP funding allocated to curlew than to any other single bird species. Through SRP, NE have funded two key projects, both of which are working to increase understanding and implement conservation measures to benefit curlews.

In addition, the Curlew Recovery Partnership aims to provide co-ordination and support to those engaged in curlew conservation in England. The Partnership was set up with financial support from Defra.