Can you hear the curlew? Help us find where they still call home

In this blog, farmer and NRW’s lead officer on curlew conservation, Bethan Beech shares the easy step farmers can take to support the much loved curlew in the Welsh countryside.

Farmers have, for generations, welcomed the return of curlew to their land - a sure sign that winter is ending and spring is on its way. I’m lucky that we have had curlews breeding on our family farm in Denbighshire since 2017, and I always listen out for their call after a long winter.

These iconic birds are part of the rhythm of many parts of the Welsh countryside, but their numbers have fallen sharply. In some areas, curlew have vanished altogether.

To help protect the remaining curlew and support their recovery, we at Natural Resources Wales are coordinating a major survey in March and April 2026. If your land falls within a priority area, you will receive an email in the coming weeks asking for permission to carry out a survey.

Participation is voluntary, but by allowing access, you’ll be helping us to build a clearer picture of where curlew still breed - vital for ensuring their haunting call continues to greet the spring for generations to come.

What’s the survey about?

The Wales Breeding Wader Survey will focus on curlew, while also recording breeding lapwing, snipe, golden plover, dunlin and redshank. Surveyors will visit selected 1km squares - chosen for their high likelihood of hosting breeding curlew - between March and early April 2026, spending up to an hour in each. If no curlew are found, a second visit will take place on the same area later in April.

Surveyors will use vantage points where possible, avoid disturbing land or livestock, and will only be recording wading birds.

What this means for you

As a farmer myself, I know how important it is that people treat land with respect. Participation is voluntary, and your decision will always be respected.

This survey won’t create new rules or designations - it simply helps apply existing assessments more accurately, for example when assessing tree planting proposals or focusing management for curlew.

The national map that will be built from the survey will show broad areas, not individual farms or nest sites. The findings will be used for conservation planning only — not public access or tourism.

No more than two surveyors will visit for up to an hour at any one time, and they’ll take care to avoid disturbance to the birds or to stock. Your support helps ensure these iconic birds remain part of our countryside for generations to come.

Why your help matters

The Welsh Government-funded survey is part of a wider effort to support Welsh farmers in protecting the wildlife that makes our countryside unique - recognising the role farmers play as custodians of the land.

The survey will:

• Ensure that tree planting activities follow a “right tree, right place” approach, without encroaching on curlew habitat
• Support future habitat management through schemes like the Sustainable Farming Scheme

We aim to survey up to 1,200 squares, potentially involving 3,000–4,000 holdings across Wales.

What you can do

If your land is identified as a priority area, you will receive an email from NRW in the next few weeks asking for permission to carry out the survey. We would be very grateful if you responded to that email as soon as you can. Early permission is needed to give us time to plan this all Wales survey.

By giving your permission, you can play a vital part to make sure that the call of the curlew can continue to echo across the Welsh countryside for years to come.

Learn more about curlew conservation in Wales.

Curlew image by: Gary Jones/ Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape