A MAJOR survey is underway which could play a crucial role in the future of rare wading birds

Conservationists are recording the number of waders breeding on the North York Moors in order to shape the management of the landscape to protect the creatures.

Curlew, golden plover, lapwing and snipe are the four species that nest on the Moors, nesting and raising their young after wintering on wetlands.

Lapwing is “red” listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern affording it the highest conservation priority needing urgent action. The other three are all listed as amber status.

Each species favours slightly different habitats but all need an open aspect with relatively easy access between moorland and neighbouring pasture where they often feed.

Similar surveys of breeding waders were carried out in 1996, 2000 and 2008. The 1996 survey found golden plover to be breeding in numbers that were considered to be important both nationally and internationally and populations of curlew were also deemed nationally significant.

That led to 44,000 hectares of moorland habitats in the North York Moors being designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area.

The results of the 2000 survey showed a significant increase in the number of breeding curlew and lapwing compared to 1996 with populations of golden plover and snipe remaining stable.

In 2008, the results showed no significant differences except for lapwing which showed a decline in numbers which reflected the national trend.

The park’s head of natural environment, Simon Wightman, said there was concern about the lapwing decline and curlew was also becoming a worry, with its numbers declining by 45 per cent since 1995.

He added: “The picture is quite complex, but these repeated surveys provide ‘snapshots’ of wader numbers in the moors which help us to understand the overall picture.”